


Rebirth

by Shyfan525



Series: ‘Rebirth’ Universe [1]
Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV), Supergirl (TV 2015), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: ALL THESE KIDS NEED THERAPY, Angels and Demons AU, Angst, Atheist!Zari, Demonic Possession, F/F, F/M, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Zari needs therapy, charlie needs therapy, demon roomate au, demon!Charlie, for plot, original dog character - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-24
Updated: 2019-10-27
Packaged: 2019-11-01 12:51:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 17
Words: 89,093
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17867624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shyfan525/pseuds/Shyfan525
Summary: After playing with a ouija board with her best friend (and crush) Amaya, Zari comes home the next day to find her dead....maybe? Who is this mysterious ‘Charlie’ that is using her friend as a vessel? And more importantly, what do they want?





	1. Ouija Board

**Author's Note:**

> So this is a thing I made...for some reason. I got the idea for this after watching girlshiptv’s hilarious video: ‘Carol’s a Demon’. I have a few chapters written up and will try to post them regularly, but I’ll have to see how things go with school. 
> 
> As always; comments, criticism, and the like are appreciated.
> 
> I do not own Legends of tomorrow, but if I did, Zari would somehow be more of a queen than she already is and Zarlie would be canon.

_The story of the ouija board is as old as time itself. They say that one day over 500 years ago, this board suddenly appeared on the shelf in the home of an Italian businessman. From there, it has moved from family to family, bringing death to all who possess it. Some say it is a direct line to a demon, others say it’s an angel. Only one thing is truly known; there is a force that has attached itself to the board. And it seeks to reclaim what it has lost._

_***_

“Seriously Amaya?” Zari said with annoyance in her voice, “you bought this thing in a Salem gift shop. The only thing that is magical about it was how much you got ripped off.”

 

“Come on Zari,” Amaya said to her uninterested roommate, “where’s your sense of adventure- your sense of wonder? This is some cursed artifact and you’re treating it like it is no better than a table mat.”

 

Zari rolled her eyes. Here they were on a Friday night in their apartment playing with some ouija board instead of going out for drinks at Sara’s bar. Not that it was a bad apartment. They had moved in together after college, and in that time they had made the two bedroom their own. The living room was fairly standard, with a couch (which had been white when they bought it, but now was stained grey with various liquid food items), a couple recliners, a coffee table and a TV. The kitchen was connected to the living room and maintained the same, fairly modest aesthetic. It possessed all the essentials of a kitchen, and a sole circular wooden table (that could fold out to allow for more seating when it was time for a “fancy” meal). A wooden panel could be folded out to reveal their washer and dryer, a door led to their pantry and a short climb up the stairs in the living room took them to their separate rooms.

 

“Look, while I would love to find out if there is some ‘great beyond’, I have to ask; are you sure you’re okay? You and Nate were-“

 

“Z,” Amaya cut Zari’s train of thought, “I’m fine. I know we were together a while, hell, longer than Ava and Sara even, but this was for the best. Our lives had become revolved around one another that we lost track of what we wanted for _ourselves_.” Amaya paused for a bit, figuring out how best to phrase her thoughts. “I think we have to find a way to love ourselves before we love each other.”

 

Zari reached over and held her friend’s hand, the touch giving her the butterflies that she had long since learned to repress. “It’s okay, I get it.” She flashed Amaya a comforting smile. “Let’s go back to trying to summon the dead.”

 

Amaya laughed at Zari’s nonchalance as they continued the “ritual”. It was good to see her smiling again. Amaya and Nate had been the main relationship of the friend group, and their breakup had caught everyone off guard. However, while some thought it might cause a divide, the two had been surprisingly civil about it and they left with mutual understanding as to why it was necessary. That did not mean that they were necessarily happy about it, or immune to the immediate awkwardness of being around someone you just broke up with. Zari knew that while Amaya would never say a word about it, she was deeply disheartened and vulnerable right now. So, Zari consigned herself to the role of best friend and tried to help Amaya and be understanding of how she felt.

 

While she was happy to help her friend, Zari had to admit that she was not the most cut out for the job. The first reason was that she never had actually been a relationship (and by extension: had broken up with someone) before. Her only “relationship” was with Jonah Hex, but that was a beard relationship. The two of them couldn’t come out to their parents so they decided to date each other as a way to fool them. Their “break up” had been when Jonah and their friend Rip moved to California and got married. On the plus side, she was Jonah’s maid of honor and did a kickass job at it too.

 

The second reason was that she was head-over-heels for Amaya. The two had met during college when they were partners for an assignment in their _Morals and Ethics_ class. Amaya had invited her out for a drink at a bar where she worked called The Waverider. It was there that she introduced Rip, Gideon, Jonah, Mick, Sara, Ray, John, Jax, and his adopted father: Martin. Over the course of that first meeting, Zari fell for Amaya in a way she never had before (except Helen). Zari would have asked her out then and there if it had not been for the late arrival of her boyfriend: Nate Heywood. While she had hated Nate at first, she had to confess that they did, in fact, make a decent couple. While Zari had many opportunities to cause discord in their relationship, she found that she couldn’t in good conscience cause such a nice couple to break up. So she held her feelings in, hoping that they would go away, but now they were only getting stronger. Jonah and Rip were the only ones who knew. While they had told her to just accept her feelings and confess, she could never build up the courage to do so.

 

Thus explained her current predicament. She possessed the perfect opportunity to become more than friends, but was too concerned with being friends to do anything.

 

“Oh spirits of the beyond, I call out to you. Is there anyone out there who wants to talk to us?” Zari felt the planchette move until it covered the ‘yes’ marker on the board. Amaya looked at Zari with a fearful look in her eye, “Z, knock it off, this is serious.”

 

“Seriously Amaya? You’re getting that much into it? Come on, it was clearly you.”

 

“It wasn’t me! Seriously!” Amaya closed her eyes and asked again. “Spirit who has connected to the board, what do you wish to say to us?” The planchette moved again (‘damn, she’s going all in with it,’ Zari thought), and spelled out H…E…L…P…M…E.

 

“‘Help me.’ It wants us to help them.” Zari rolled her eyes as Amaya prepared to ask another question. “Tell us, what do you want from us?” This time Zari decided to have a little fun with Amaya. She moved the planchette to spell out Y…O…U…R…S…O… U… L! Zari then started twitching like she was having a seizure and started babbling nonsense until Amaya screamed and moved to the couch. Zari couldn’t take it anymore and burst out laughing.

 

Amaya, having figured out Zari’s prank, picked a pillow off the sofa and threw it at her. “You ass,” she said while trying to hide her slight giggle, “you scared the shit out of me for a second.”

 

“Come on ‘Maya, I just wanted to mess with you. Besides”, Zari stood up and plopped herself on the couch, “I know you moved it first, figured I’d give you a scare.”

 

Amaya sat next to her. “Come on, I wasn’t the one moving it.”

 

Zari rolled her eyes. “Whatever. If you want scary shit, I think that _Evil Dead_ is on Netflix now.”

 

Amaya pouted at Zari, “you’re lucky there is still some mint chocolate chip in the fridge.” She got up to get the ice cream and the two ate it while enjoying the cheesy, yet creepy movie.

 

That night Zari dreamed that she had the courage to confess when they were on the couch. And like each one of these dreams that had come before, she tortured herself with visions of her love being reciprocated (in both emotional and very physical ways). She always took this torture happily though, for at least she could have hope in her dreams.

 

However, while the two slept, there was no one to notice what transpired in Amaya’s room. Amaya had taken the ouija board up to her room, but now the planchette was oozing out what would appeared to be a dark cloud. It moved around the room, almost in search of something. It’s time in this realm was limited and it had to find what it was looking for. Finally, the cloud came across a golden necklace (it had been in Amaya’s family for many years). ‘Perfect,’ the cloud thought, ‘a binding necklace!’ The cloud covered the necklace and began to condense. To the untrained eye, it would appear that the necklace was absorbing the cloud. While they would be right (to a degree at least), the truth was for more interesting….and terrible. Rather, the cloud was _becoming_ the necklace. It was filling the necklace with the essence of what the cloud was. By the time this process was completed, the cloud (or rather the entity that made up the cloud) no longer held it’s former form, but now took the form of the necklace. It would serve the entity well, and bind them to this plane for as long as she needed.

 

For you see this entity was not from our world, but somewhere far worse than anything you could imagine. However, the entity had a plan, and if it worked, it would never have to go back.

 

***

Zari woke up early on Saturday morning to the sound of her (evil) alarm clock. After Zari turned it off and swore repeatedly into her pillow, she got up and got ready for work. Normally she would never get up early on Saturdays, but the deadline for her team’s new software update was coming up and she needed to get a crack at it. Admittedly, while the deadline WAS important, the only reason she was getting up is because Ray’s department said they needed some coding help for something they’re building up.

 

Ray was, on all accounts, one of the sweetest guys to ever walk the earth. He had been the first to casually hang out with her after she was introduced the legends, he helped set up the TV in their apartment, and had even been a couch to crash on when Nate and Amaya sexiled her out of the apartment. So, Zari felt obligated to help Ray with whatever problem he was having.

 

After driving for 30 minutes she finally arrived at her job: Heywood Technologies. She had gotten a low-level programming job right after she graduated 5 years ago (Nate’s father ran the company and had taken her on to ‘see what Nate was fussing about), and now ran her own team. While she initially felt uncomfortable working for her friend’s father, she quickly grew to enjoy working there. Furthermore, if Nate is to be believed, Mr. Heywood considers her “the best programmer of her time” and that “in 5 to 10 year, she could run the whole division if she put her mind to it.”

 

After fixing up some issues with her team’s work, she moved over to the R&D section of the building where Ray worked. She knocked on the door of Ray’s office and was treated to the dopey, yet charming grin of Ray Palmer. After exchanging greetings (and a hug, as per Ray’s norm), he guided over to his computer and explained what he was working on.

 

“It’s a bio-programmable chip,” Ray explained, “like what’s in a pacemaker. Curtis and Felicity actually came up with it during a meeting. It carries electrical signals to aid in biological functions, but this,” Ray grinned, the reveal clearly making him excited, “this is going to transfer neuron signals.”

 

Zari stared at him. Biology had never been her favorite subject, but even from the bits she could remember….it almost sounded like…. “Are you saying that you have the cure to paralysis sitting on some shelf in your lab?” Ray nodded and she immediately felt as giddy as he was. Spine injuries affected so many people, and the problem with recovery had so far been an inability to fully restore nerve damage. This device could change the world and help so many people.

 

Of course it was Ray Palmer that brings it to life.

 

The smile on Ray’s face then fell. “Of course, there is still the problem of getting it to work. We’ve been able to get some good results in beta, but before we go further I want to make absolutely sure that the code is good.” He then pulled up a page on his desktop and showed it to Zari. “I’ve figured out a way to record nerve signals as computer data, I just need to make sure we are able to successfully transfer the same signal.”

 

“Ray, this project is amazing. I’d be honored to help.”

 

Ray smiled and handed her a flash drive. “Here’s everything we have so far.” His voice dropped to a whisper, “I trust you will keep quiet about this?” Zari completely understood what he meant. Technology like this is not built every day. If word got out about something like this being so close to completion, well, corporate espionage existed because of things like this. “Only Mr. Heywood, Curtis, Felicity and myself know of its existence.” Zari nodded and put the flash drive in her bag.

 

As they walked out of the building Ray turned to Zari. “Hey, I didn’t see you and Amaya last night? Something happen?”

 

Zari shrugged. “Amaya just needed a night off. She just broke things off with Nate and wanted a night to herself. We played with an ouija board and watched Evil Dead. You didn’t miss much.”

 

Ray rubbed the back of his head. “Weeeellllll...you guys may have missed something.” Zari turned to face Ray, one eyebrow raised questioningly. “I may have met someone at the bar last night.”

 

Zari’s eyes widened with joy as she gave Ray a playful slug to the arm. “Raymond Palmer managed to pick a girl up at a bar?” She gave him a hug. “Our little bird is leaving the nest. What’s her name?”

 

“Anna.” Ray’s back straightened, proud of his accomplishment. “We have dinner on Sunday.” Zari was happy for Ray. He had never had the best success dating. It’s not that he was ever mean, far from it. He was too nice to the point where it made people feel inadequate. Zari always found it charming though, and if it weren’t for being gay (a fact that she still tries to hide) then she would have asked him out herself.

 

‘After all,’ Zari thought, ‘don’t we all deserve love?’

 

***

Amaya woke up around 9:30 and groggily dragged herself out of bed. After taking a shower and putting on a fresh set of clothes, she began to notice something weird. It was like a whisper, a voice that was right behind her. But when she turned to see what it was, there was nothing there. But that voice...the constant whispering (enough to drive her mad) was still there. It was when she started to move again that she noticed it getting clearer. She moved to find the source of this….whatever it was. By the time she got to the amulet, the whispers had become yells with one clear message: ‘PUT ME ON. PUT ME ON.”

 

***

Zari came home 30 minutes later with groceries. She figured they needed a restock some food, and most importantly, ice cream. “Hey Amaya, I’m back.” However, she received no reply. Amaya, in all the years she had known her, had always had manners that come from the 1940’s. She would always thank Zari and help her carry in the bags.

 

But now there was silence.

 

Zari assumed that she must still be asleep. So she set the food down on the kitchen counter before moving to the stairs.

 

It was there that she saw Amaya. She was laying at the bottom of the stairs. Her eyes were glassed over, her arms flailed out. There was a small red pool around her head, and her neck….her neck was bent in a way it shouldn’t be bent.

 

Zari froze as she tried to process what she saw. ‘She can’t be-. She isn’t-.’

 

“Amaya?”

 

***

The first thing that Charlie experienced was the darkness. She tried to look around, but all she could see….was nothing. Then she felt the pain. She groaned as she felt the shattered bones in her neck.

 

Or rather, her host’s neck. 

 

‘Damn it,’ she thought to herself, ‘this fucking host is dead already? What are humans made of: paper?!?’ She stretched herself throughout the host to assess the damage that was done. She was relieved to find that it was a simple fix. Just a few broken and twisted bones and two shattered vertebrae. She’s brought hosts back from being crushed to death, she could do this. However, there was one injury that could not be ignored: the poor girl’s brain was damaged.

 

‘Welp, there goes her memories’ she thought. Possession was a rather simple thing for her kind. While her stick-up-their-ass angel siblings could only possess one pure of heart, demons could inhabit any body that has partaken in sin at least once. This, as it so happens, basically covers the entirety of the human race. However, their successful integration has always boiled down to use of their host’s memories. If the brain is damaged in any way, these memories were essentially useless. 

 

Charlie swore. She had intended to keep a low profile when she was called to this plane of existence. Now a girl would be found dead in a house with a ouija board and wearing a binding necklace. It wouldn’t take long for someone to find out what was going on and send her back. 

 

‘Well, let’s get to work,’ Charlie thought as she started repairing this vessel for possession.

 

***

Zari stood, transfixed by the broken form of her best friend. She tried to run to the phone, to scream for someone to help, even just to hold her friend and cry. 

 

But she could only stare. 

 

It was like videos of natural disasters that you would see on tv: a volcano that burns a town, a flood that washes everything away, even an earthquake leveling a city. You know what you are seeing is horrible, yet you can’t seem to take your eyes off it. Even though you are seeing it with your own eyes, some part of you still can’t believe it’s happening.

 

The slow acceptance of seeing her friend, the love of her life, dead threatened to overwhelm the poor girl. Her legs turned to jelly and she fell to her knees uttering one single word.

 

“No.”

 

Then she heard the popping. The loud, wet, unnatural pops snapped Zari out of her state and she rushed to Amaya’s side. She watched as the corpse put itself back together. Leg bones snapped back together. Shoulders relocated with a pop. Her neck moved back to a normal position as Zari felt the vertebrae...move...back into place. The feeling scared Zari more than she thought was possible. Whatever was happening was not natural by any stretch of the imagination. After about a minute, Amaya was back to her normal self. Zari thought she almost looked peaceful, almost like she was sleeping.

 

Then the body opened her eyes and gasped. Zari screamed and fell back as the corpse’s torso moved upright like a vampire. 

 

“Woooo!” Amaya yelled, wearing a grin that vastly different from her normal, reserved one. “That was fuckin’ fun!” Zari was confused. She was happy to see that her friend was okay, but since when did she have a British accent? It must just be a head trauma thing.

 

“Amaya! Thank God you’re okay!” Zari drew her friend into a tight embrace. She closed her eyes and held her best friend close, as if doing so would prevent what she just saw from ever happening again. She had just seen her friend die, that’s something she never wants to repeat. “When I saw you on the floor I was so worried. I thought you were-.” Zari still couldn’t bring herself to say what she had seen. After all, the tears were still fresh. “But it’s okay! You are okay! Everything is,” Zari looked up at her friend….who looked very confused, “okay.”

 

Something was wrong. Amaya always had a smile on her face and greeted her friends with a kind look in her eyes. Now she looked at Zari as if she was a stranger and she saw no recognition in her eyes. Eyes that were slightly different as well (though as to how, Zari couldn’t figure out).

 

“Oh shit,” Amaya raised an eyebrow as she looked at Zari, “you’re Zari aren’t you?” Zari nodded, maybe this was some weird memory loss bullshit. Amaya smiled and hugged the small girl even tighter than she had (‘thank god that’s over’ Zari thought). “Thank God. I thought this,” she motioned to herself “corpse, was you and I had lost my chance!” She pulled away from her hug and Zari could finally see what was wrong with her eyes. Amaya’s formally dark brown eyes now housed a small thin line circling in the iris. She blinked twice to make sure what she was looking at was real, but there it was: a red ring in the middle of her friend’s eyes.

 

“My name is Charlie,” the girl said, “and you are the one who is going to help me.”


	2. Introductions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A stranger who looks just like Amaya has awoken in Zari’s apartment. As she deals with her friend being gone, Zari must now deal with new questions. Who is she? Why is she here?
> 
> And what does she want?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HOLY SHIT THIS IS LATE! I meant for this to come out a week after I uploaded the last chapter, but life kinda got in the way. First it was wrestling, then becoming the student director of my school’s musical, all combined with a bout of writers block. However, after seeing Steelhacker apparently happening I decided that there must be more Zarlie to fight off this horror.
> 
> So here it is: my contribution to the fight against Steelhacker.
> 
> I don’t own legends of tomorrow but I wish I did.

September 2018 (Charlie POV)

 

Charlie pushed herself up against a wall and shimmied her way up. “Sorry if I freaked you out,” she pushed herself off the wall and shifted the weight onto her feet, “I needed to heal my vessel before I could occupy it.” The demon’s stomach started to growl, the foreign feeling of hunger retching in her gut. “Got any grub? I’m starving.”

 

She took a few steps before looking back at the human who summoned her. The poor girl looked like she was going to have a heart attack. She stared at her with wide eyes and a dropped jaw that was kind of adorable (in a pathetic sense at least). Her former host had a lot of memories of this girl and, while those may be gone, the memories remained (friendship, safety, dependability, platonic love). If these were true, this mortal is exactly what she needs.

 

“A….Amaya..,” the small girl stuttered out as she started standing up, “if this is some psychotic break or brain damage from the fall, please let me help you.” That almost made the demon sad. The poor girl still hasn’t processed what is happening. She thought that Charlie was some split personality. What a hilarious sentiment. “Your name is Amaya Jiwe, you were born in the village of Zambezi. I’m Zari Tomaz, your best friend. You are dating…” the girl paused, contemplating what to say. ‘Interesting,’ Charlie thought. “You are dating Nate Heywood. He loves you. Your friends love you. I-.”

 

“Look, sweetie,” Charlie walked up the stairs. While it was like moving with a catsuit on, turns out walking in a host is a lot like riding a bike. The demon walked up the stairs, examining the wall and railing as she went up. When she found what she was looking for, the demon took a finger and scooped up some of the red-grey slime and walked down to the poor, traumatized girl. “This,” she held up her finger, “is from your friend.” She whipped it off on the coffee table. “Test it as much as you want, but I assure you it was hers. I was able to possess your friend and healed her up. So that makes me a…..?” She motioned for Zari to continue.

 

“Split personality.” Charlie almost wanted to throttle the girl. “Brain damage can lead to psychotic episodes and-.”

 

“Oh yeah, because having part of your goddamn brain matter spurt out of your head is something one casually survives.” The demon massaged the bridge of her nose. Now was not the time for an aneurysm. “Z, I’m just going to say this because it is clear you are currently incapable of comprehending the situation. Your friend is dead, and I am a demon.” Charlie could tell that the human was upset so she put a hand on one of her shoulders. “Sorry for your loss.” She then felt her stomach growl. “On an unrelated note, do you have anything to eat? I’m famished.”

 

*** (Zari POV)

 

‘No fucking way,’ Zari thought. ‘She can’t be a demon because that means there is a hell. There can’t be a hell because that means there is a heaven. And there most certainly can’t be a heaven because that means there is a God and she stopped believing in that shit a long time ago.’ The sound of her refrigerator opening snapped her from this train of thought. ‘Right, the eldritch horror that is in my kitchen. I should probably take care of that.’

 

She walked to the kitchen to find “Charlie” perusing her fridge. “Fucking A,” Charlie exclaimed as she pulled out a coke can. The demon cracked it open and appeared to start chugging it. That is, until her eyes seemed to bulge out of her head and she did a violent spit-take. She looked down at the drink as though it had personally offended her. “What is THIS weak shit? Where is the cocaine?” Charlie turned to face Zari. “Where’s the rush that human children crave?”

 

Zari quickly grabbed the can and threw it in the recycling. “Yeah, they don’t put cocaine in coke anymore.”

 

“Well I suppose that makes sense.” Charlie paused, regarding the woman before her. “You don’t believe me,” she scoffed, “typical humans.”

 

Zari snapped back. “Well I’m sorry, it’s a little hard to accept that my friend has been replaced by a hellspawn!” Who did she think she was? ‘Fuck her,’ Zari thought, ‘who gave her the right to come here and take over my life?’

 

Charlie rolled her eyes. “Well I’m sor-ry.” She sarcastically drew out the ‘sorry’ in a manner that befitted a seven year old. “I had assumed that since worshiping my mother was your people’s main religion that you would be more open to the idea of demons.” She outstretched her arms mockingly. “But I guess your ‘modern day society’ is too smart to believe in such things!”

 

“Well you know what? I don’t even believe in-.” Zari stopped, finally having comprehended what Charlie was saying. “Wait, did you say ‘mother?’”

 

“Plus,” the demon completely ignored Zari’s inquiry, “you were the one who summoned me! Remember?”

 

The mortal girl was confused. “How the hell did I summon you?”

 

“The board, dumbass!” When it became clear that this was not a sufficient explanation for Zari, she elaborated. “Look, your friend got the ritual started. She asked for my presence, what I wanted, the whole shebang. Then you,” Charlie pointed at Zari, “moved the planchette. That bonded me to you and made it clear you were willing to help. You read the guide right? I made that quite clear.”

 

Zari tried to explain. “But I was just trying to mess with my friend. It was a mistake! I didn’t think anything would come from it!”

 

Charlie laughed. “Who are you? Your parents?”

 

“Hey!”

 

“I’m sorry, that was mean.” Zari was at least happy that the demon apologized, she even looked a bit sad about it too. “Look, honey,” Charlie sat on top of the table, “I am what I say I am. Satan doesn’t lie and neither do I.” She looked off for a bit before a smile came back to her face and she stared at Zari. “And I know just how to prove it.”

 

“How to prove wha-.” Zari didn’t get to finish before Charlie leapt forward and placed her pointer and middle fingers on the girl’s forehead. All of a sudden Zari’s head felt like it was going to explode. It was as though someone had used a hammer and chisel to carve up her skull. She collapsed to the ground clutching her aching head.

 

“Sorry for that,” she heard Charlie say, clearly apathetic towards Zari’s condition, “the symbols I placed on your skull should allow you to see me without incurring too much damage.”

 

Zari (who was starting to get quite sick of Charlie’s bullshit) yelled back. “Yeah, thanks. I’m so goddamn grateful.”

 

Charlie’s tone turned serious. “You should be.” Suddenly the girl began to change. Her eye’s sclera turned black while her pupils and irises turned blood red. Skin turned red and boiled off to reveal an image of crimson rot and decay. Her teeth and fingernails lengthened and sharpened until she possessed claws and fangs. To top it off, Zari could see horns and a tail violently sprouting out from her head and rear end respectively. It was a truly horrifying sight to behold and would probably haunt her dreams.

 

“You are scared right now, but believe me when I say it is worse.” The demon crouched down, the red-black eyes staring into Zari’s soul. “Right now the charms are acting as a filter. They allow you to see my form as something you can accept. Without them,” the demon’s skinless face made what she assumed was a grotesque smile, “you would go insane, rip out your own eyes, and try to kill yourself.” She leaned in and gave a peck on Zari’s cheek. “And that is assuming you could even survive in the first place.”

 

Zari could no longer deny what was before her. Her kind lovable roommate was now…

 

_A demon_.

 

The creature turn back into Amaya’s form. “So,” she asked, “you got your shit in order?” Zari nodded, the shock rendering her silent. “Good. Now,” she sat down in the chair at the end of the table, “let’s talk business.”

 

***

“You want my what?”

 

Charlie rolled her eyes as she cracked open her twelfth beer. The demon had demanded a meal and (after going through her entire stock of food) had settled on two six-packs of Bud Lite. While Zari would have normally objected to it, seeing as it was a huge waste of money, she allowed it under the conditions that the demon remained handcuffed and tied to her chair until she reached a decision.

 

“Uh...your soul,” Charlie paused to finish her beer through her extendable straw, “I feel as though I was remarkably clear in regards to that.”

 

Zari shook her head, this was way too much. “Okay, but why though?”

 

“Look,” the demon leaned forward, “hell is….well, it’s hell. That’s especially the case for demons. Our lives consist of burning in lakes of fire and torturing humans. It fucking sucks and I want out. I want to go back to heaven.”

 

“What does that make you: the good demon?”

 

The demon laughed. “Oh fuck no, I’ve tortured more souls than there are people alive today!”

 

Zari closed her eyes and massaged the bridge of her nose. “Jesus fucking Christ.” This demon was going to give her a headache.

 

But the demon didn’t stop there, in fact she started to feel a bit of pride. “Yeah, I was pretty good too.” A smile started to tug at her lips. “One time with this rapist, I made this thing called ‘the genital peeler’ and-.”

 

“Enough!” Now it was Zari who felt like she needed a drink. “What does that have to do with me?”

 

Charlie rolled her eyes. “Well, upon your death, I can use your heaven-bound soul as a tether to get me back home. It’s a lot like using a fake ID, except it’s a soul.”

 

“Okay,” Zari couldn’t tell if she should be worried about the fact that it made sense to her. “I have two questions.”

 

“I thought you would have more, but go ahead.”

 

“According to the Bible, shouldn’t I be going to hell anyway? I’m kinda…” she didn’t know how to phrase it. Hell, she still hasn’t come to terms with it. “I’m...you know…”

 

The demon’s smirk grew into a full smile. “Why Mrs. Zari,” she said in a mock-seduction voice, “I may have been wrong about you. Have you been a bad girl?”

 

“No, noooo no no no.” Zari was eager to avoid THAT as much as she could. “No, I mean I’m….” _Gay,_ “Atheist,” She said quickly.

 

“Oh,” Charlie slumped back in her chair. She seemed disappointed. “Look, Mom honestly doesn’t give a shit about stuff like that. As long as you are a good person, she believes you deserve to go to heaven too. Hell, half of the ‘do this or go to hell’ shit was just made up by the church to control society.”

 

“I’m sorry, did you say m-?”

 

“But yeah, you should be fine as long as you stay the boring person that you are.”

 

Zari shook her head. “Second question,” she paused for dramatic effect (‘Sara would be ashamed of me’), “why the hell am I still alive? I mean, if you want to use my soul as a tether, what’s stopping you from killing me and being on your merry way?”

 

Charlie rolled her eyes, apparently she had been expecting this question. “Come on Z, you have seen movies. You know how this works. I need your consent before I can do anything. Now, you can just give it to me...or,” she grinned and leaned forward, her low-cut displaying her breasts to a very uncomfortable Zari, “we can make a deal.”

 

Zari was flustered. She had imagined this view many times before (much to her guilty pleasure), but now she felt like a mouse in front of a very hungry cat. “Wha-What kind of deal did you have in mind?”

 

“Well,” Charlie replied with a sultry tone, “even though we may have less power than our angel brothers and sisters, we have our own ways of showing…. _gratitude.”_ The demon’s voice dripped with both suggestion and seduction. “We can alter the world however we wish, so really it is your choice.” All of a sudden Zari’s vision started changing...warping. With every word her thoughts changed and were replaced with visions that filled her senses. It was as though someone cut her head open and was playing with her thoughts as though they were putty. She tried to cover her ears in an attempt to block out the words but found she couldn’t. o matter how much she didn’t want to hear, she couldn’t help it. The voice that was violating her mind was like auditory crack.

 

“That promotion you always wanted?”

 

_Zari saw herself in her boss’s office...no-HER office. She was in charge, and with it, all the money and power she never knew she wanted. From there, she could make software that could last for a thousand years. She could even dedicate more time to her special projects._ Zari got up and used the table to support herself as she moved to the sink. Maybe she could snap herself out of it.

 

“Maybe you want the power that you lacked when you needed it most. I can tell that you have been hurt by someone before. Speak the word and I will raze them without hesitation.”

 

_The Camp of Second Chances. She’d be lying if she hadn’t thought about it before. It would be a good thing too; burning that place to the ground. She wanted to make sure the sadists who ran that place could never make anyone feel as unwanted and alone as she did._ This time the vision made her stumble directly into the kitchen counter. ‘Perfect,’ she thought. As Zari crawled herself to the sink, she noticed the voices getting louder. They were desperate and their promises were becoming more and more appealing. As soon as she arrived at her destination, Zari turned on the faucet and held her face directly in the path of the falling water. The voices immediately ceased and the poor girl relished in the relaxing silence that was restored. She then turned off the water and simply stood there with her eyes closed. Zari took a few breaths. “I just needed to calm down,” she thought.

 

In….

 

Out….

 

In….

 

Out….

 

I-

 

“ _Or_ _maybe you want something a little more intimate?”_ This voice was different from the others. It wasn’t an overpowering force, instead it was a soft, _intimate_ whisper. Somehow that was so much worse. “ _Demon’s can be useful to have in someone’s back pocket.”_ Suddenly her got body hot, unnaturally hot. _“We demons know desire like no other.”_ Zari began to feel hands, Amaya’s hands, slowly exploring her body. One rubbed her right breast under her shirt while the other began to move down to the heat pooling between her legs. She had held Amaya’s hands many times before and had memorized each tiny detail in contour. While Zari had used this knowledge before, the current predicament made her wish she hadn’t learned in the first place. The poor girl bit back a moan as she felt curled hair and breathing on the back of her neck. _“I can make your every dream come true. After all…”_ Zari could swear she felt something nibble her earlobe, _“I need you Z.”_

 

Zari opened her eyes. _It was Amaya’s voice_.

 

“Stop it.” Zari turned to see the shadowy reflection of her friend smirking at her while sucking on her beer straw.

 

“So,” the demon spoke, “what is your desire?”

 

The answer was so simple to Zari that she didn’t even have to think before answering. “Amaya,” she trembled as the words flew out, “I want you to bring her back.” The demon turned away and bile rose in the mortal’s throat. “Bring her back. She was a good person, and had her whole life ahead of her.” With each word her confidence rose until anger completely replaced the fear she felt before. “You can take my life in exchange, I don’t give a shit. Just please-.” She felt a hot wetness fall down her cheeks. ‘How long have I been crying,’ she thought. “Please,” this time all the confidence left her, leaving her with only desperation. “Please bring her back.”

 

“Z,” Charlie tried to reach out to her before the handcuffs held her back. “Demons are extremely powerful,” she paused, “but life and death? That part of the natural order.” The demon bit her lip and swallowed as she tried to figure out the best way to explain. “Even if I did manage to bring the dead back to life, Kendra would go ballistic. She takes her ‘angel of death’ job really seriously.”

 

“Then go to hell!” Zari was furious. “You have nothing I want and you have harmed my friend! Go back to the goddamn hell pit where you came from!”

 

Charlie, for the first time since arriving, actually seemed to get pissed off at that. “Alright you pathetic child,” her words dripped with venom and bile, “I’ll play your game.” The demon shrugged. “Yes, you can send me back to hell any time you want. However,” she smiled and held up a single finger, “the minute I am sent back I will make sure that I completely and utterly destroy this host. You will be left with nothing but a broken and bloody corpse,” her smile widened, “with _your_ fingerprints all over it.”

 

Immediately it felt like she was slapped in the face. “Look,” Zari stood up, “right now this is way too much for me.” She walked over to door and grabbed her keys that hung from the rack beside it. She paused before opening the door, “I’m going to go get a drink and think this whole fucking thing through.” Zari unlocked the door as she continued,

 

“Oi, Z! You can’t leave me like this!” Zari opened the door and stepped out. “Zari! Zar-.”

 

The mortal smiled. It was immensely satisfying to screw a demon over.

 

***

 

In the town where Zari lived, the Waverider bar was the one place that everyone knew to go if they had a problem. While the owner and its patrons were all relatively normal, the same could not be said about its cook and bartender: a woman by the name of Gideon. No one knows her last name, where she came from, or how she came to be employed at the establishment. What _is_ known is that, in addition to making the best meals in the city, she seems to always give the best advice to whomever is willing to listen.

 

And advice is exactly what Zari needed right now. She pulled her car into the back parking lot and got out. The spots were usually reserved for employees, but Sara let their group park there when the restaurant was closed. The benefits of having one of your best friends run a restaurant.

 

She opened the back door and was greeted to the heavenly smell of something being cooked. ‘Good, she’s in.’ Zari moved through the kitchen to find the woman over a cartoonishly large pot. Gideon was a tall brunette with a muscular, yet at the same time skinny, build. Her previously shoulder-length hair was tied up in a bun and she wore her signature plain black T-shirt and jeans.

 

“Miss Tomaz,” the chef said with a smile as she walked over, “it is so good to see you.” Gideon pulled her into a hug. Zari had never been one for hugging but Gideon was different. Something about her made everyone feel at ease around her.

 

“Gideon, how many times have I told you? It’s just Zari.” The two of them laugh for a bit before Zari cleared her throat. “I actually wanted your advice about something.

 

Gideon smiled and pulled up a stool. “Come, sit. Tell me what’s the problem.”

 

Zari sat down and started nervously playing with her jacket. “So, recently I met this girl.” She heard an excited squeal and turned to see the other woman with a huge smile on her face. “No,” she said, eager to shut down this train of thought, “not like that. I’m not gay.” Gideon rolled her eyes as Zari scowled in annoyance. “Anyway, this girl….,” Zari instantly realized that telling someone your roommate is literally from hell would be the fastest way to get locked in an asylum. Luckily, she was able to come up with a decent alternative. “I suppose you could say that she just got out of prison. Suddenly she’s at my door telling me that not only does she need my help, but that I’m the only one who can help her.” Her fidgeting increased as she tried to quell the nervousness brewing in her chest. “What do you think I should do?”

 

The chief seemed to ponder this. “Do you know for certain if she is as bad as you seem to think she is?”

 

“Kinda,” Zari shrugged, “I mean, we’re talking maximum security level of locked up. It’s the kind people don’t get out of.” A stray thought entered the mortal’s head. ‘At least I hope Hell is maximum security.’

 

“Is her goal to redeem herself somehow?”

 

“Well, I guess. But-.”

 

Gideon spoke without hesitation. “Then I say help her. If she seeks redemption, then who are we to stand in her way?” The woman smiled as she continued her cooking. “Besides, maybe it’s fate.”

 

“What do you mean: faith?”

 

“Zari, Do you have any idea how many maximum security prisoners get let free?” Gideon raised an eyebrow. “Next. To. Zero. Maybe someone up there-.” Zari groaned. She did NOT need reminding of the recent disproving of her worldview. “Z, I know you don’t believe in God, and I respect that. But,” the woman put her hand on Zari’s shoulder, “maybe your friend getting let out and her arriving at your door wasn’t a coincidence. I think she was meant to meet you and you were meant to help her.”

 

“I don’t know Gideon, she’s just so….”

 

“Aggravating?” Gideon gave her a kind smile. “Give her a chance. Maybe she will surprise you.”

 

***

Zari opened the door to find the demon in her living room. From what she could tell, Charlie was trying to pick up the tv remote that was resting on the ground. However, being tied to a chair made this attempt less than graceful. The sight of her new roommate squatting while bent over and trying to reach the remote below her (though due to the handcuffs, she could only pathetically bat at it with her fingers) reminded her of when Jack Sparrow was attached to the pole in _Pirates of the Caribbean_. The mortal couldn’t help but chuckled which earned a stink-eye from the demon.

 

However, once the humor died down a bit, she found that she actually felt somewhat bad for the demon. She groaned as she finally relented. “You can get out of the chair,” she said, “I’ve made my decision.”

 

The demon slowly formed a grin. She set herself down and moved to align herself with the door. “Z, I would get out of the way.”  Zari moved just in time to see Charlie move past her at breakneck speed. Then, in the time it took the mortal to blink, she broke free and launched the chair into the parking lot. There was a loud, inhuman roar and the shattered remains of the chair burst into flames. However, this didn’t seem to be normal fire. Instead of the warm orange she was used to, this flame was pure black with hints of blue.

 

As the pair watched the cathartic burning of the chair, Zari turned to Charlie. “Before I agree to anything, I need you to tell me right now...did you kill Amaya when you possessed her?”

 

The demon turned and returned the motal’s glare. “Z, I swear, I had nothing to do with her death.”

 

“Well then,” Zari couldn’t believe she was saying this, “you can stay.” The demon cheered and even attempted to hug her before Zari stopped it. “I will give you one year to demonstrate to me that you deserve to go to heaven. If you manage to convince me before the year is up, I will grant you permission. If you do not, at the end of the year I will send you back to hell.”

 

Charlie gave her a sultry smirk. “So all I have to do is wait until we get in the sack together then. Don’t I?”

 

“First of all,” Zari quick responded, “we will not sleep together.” Charlie scoffed. “Secondly, seducing me will not work.”

 

“Oh trust me,” the demon said, “you will be moaning all sorts of things: my name, definitely a yes or two,” she smirked and moaned for extra effect, “harder.”

 

The mortal rolled her eyes. “But,” she added, “there are some rules.”

 

“Very well, but-.”

 

“Rule 1:,” she cut the demon off before she could continue. If she was going to get her to follow the rules, Zari couldn’t show any weakness. “You will not do that thing you did to my head earlier to anyone. Ever.”

 

“I completely agree with you, one hundred percent.”

 

Her compliance actually caught Zari off-guard. “Wait, really?”

 

“Yes,” Charlie looked uncomfortable as she replied, “I absolutely hate doing it. The only reason I did it to you was because I was desperate. I’ve been on the receiving end of it before from someone who’s not nearly as nice as I am and trust me...” a dark look passed across her face. “No one deserves to have that happen to them.” The demon shook her head as a smile returned. “Now, what else.”

 

‘Not pulling the pin on THAT grenade again,’ Zari thought as she recomposed herself. “Uh, okay. Rule two:,” she declared, “unless I say otherwise, from this point on you are to act and behave as a human being.”

 

“Now wait a minute-.”

 

“You will get a job, pay bills,” her voice turned stern, “and not reveal that you are a demon.”

 

The demon scoffed. “Oh let me guess,” she replied, clearly annoyed, “I’m going to have your friend’s job aren’t I?” The mortal smirked at her. “Well isn’t this great. I bet you’re getting off on this ‘playing house’ shit, aren’t you?

 

“Well,” Zari smiled and said with faux-sympathy, “if you don’t like it then I guess it’s better if you just go back to-.”

 

The demon angrily relented. “Fine,” she said, “I’ll do it.” She held out her hand. “Do we have a deal?”

 

Zari looked at the hand before her. A part of her was saying to turn back, to send her to hell before it is too late. While she may have listened to this voice before, Zari was no longer interested in listening to it. This was the only chance she could have of saving her friend. “You said that demons don’t break deals right?”

 

“Yes.” Charlie continued while still offering her hand. “There has only ever been one demon who has ever broken a deal.”

 

“Why’s that?”

 

The demon smiled. “Because we all saw what happened to him, and it scares the shit out of us.”

 

Zari looked back to the hand. ‘Screw it,’ she thought as she reached forward and shook the hand. Instantly orange runes crawled up the demon’s arm until they covered her entire body. They glowed brightly before fading into nothingness.

 

“The deal is struck,” she said. “Now, may I inquire as to what job I will be doing for the foreseeable future?”

 

“Oh right,” Zari said to herself as she answered, “Amaya was a….”

 

‘Oh shit,’ Zari thought to herself as she remembered, ‘this was a mistake.’

 

“What’s wrong,” the trickster asked, “was I like a stripper or something?”

 

“Amaya,” the mortal started, mentally kicking herself for not remembering earlier, “was a history teacher.”

 

“Like with kids?”

 

“Fourth graders to be exact,” Zari clarified. “About ten to eleven years old.”

 

There was a long silence before the demon said what they both were thinking.

 

“FUUUUUUUUCCCCCKKKKK.”


	3. The morning after

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zari and Charlie get used to their new normal.

(Zari POV)

 

It was 6:00 AM hen Zari heard the crashing of a plate. As she groggily questioned the reality of what she heard, the subsequent “fucking bullshit” informed her to the fact that not only was it real, but it’s cause as well. ‘Right,’ the mortal reminded herself, ‘the hell-beast is my roommate.’ It had occurred to her how strange her life must be if she wasn’t even fazed by this thought. However, her self-reflection was cut short as she began to smell smoke. Zari quickly threw on her robe and rushed downstairs to find the demon (seriously, how is she calm about this) swearing at the burning stove.

 

However, what caught Zari’s eye was the demon herself, or rather, her change in appearance. While Charlie still held the appearance of her best friend (a trait that continued to increase Zari’s contempt for her new houseguest), it would seem that she had decided to try and give herself a makeover. While Amaya had let her hair flow naturally, Charlie had it put up in a bun with a dreadlock ponytail. She was also wearing an outfit consisting of a punk-rock shirt, a studded choker, and skintight leather pants that were all oddly familiar to Zari. All of this, combined with her excessive use of eyeliner gave her the appearance of an angsty punk-rock performer. 

 

Zari decided to step in and control the situation. “What the hell do you think you’re doing? Are you trying to burn the apartment down?”

 

Charlie rolled her eyes. “Well I  _ was _ trying to make some goddamn food,” she turned and motioned back to the mess that was the stove, “but apparently everything on this planet is acting like an asshole!” It would appear that the demon had been trying to make bacon and eggs. However, given the charred remnants that she saw in the trash and thrown around the kitchen, it was clear that these attempts were not successful. Zari started to giggle at the situation that was before her. Here was an insanely powerful entity that has existed since the dawn of time, and she can’t even make herself breakfast. It was so mundane, yet so utterly hilarious. The girl couldn’t help herself. 

 

“So, madame “let me use your soul because I asked” is going to go hungry.” She smiled as Charlie grumbled something under her breath. “Oh how the mighty have fallen.”

 

“Fuck off.”

 

“No really,  _ this _ ,” she motioned to Charlie and the rest of the kitchen, “is hilarious.” Zari pulled up a chair and sat down. “I mean-. Have you heard of the story of tantalus?”

 

“Now listen to m-.”

 

“Wait a minute! What am I thinking? You have probably done that to some poor bastard! Well, I guess the shoe is on the other foot now!”

 

Charlie turned around, her face red with both embarrassment and rage. “Now listen here you brat!” As she spoke, the demon’s voice distorted and her eyes slowly became those of her true demonic form. “I was there when the universe was created and I will be there when it ends! You,” she began slowly walking towards Zari, “are but a speck in the history of a species that has barely stepped out of the slime you came from!” At this point the two were face to face. “So not test me!” The room instantly became silent. One could hear a pin drop or an ant crawl. If someone had been in that room with them, they could cut the tension with a knife.

 

“But can you make breakfast?” Charlie turned away and roared.  _ ‘This is too easy,’ _ Zari thought. “We can make a deal,” she said to the demon, “I make you breakfast and you get the hell out of my life?”

 

Suddenly Charlie stopped. “I have a different idea,” she turned around, this time baring a ear to ear smile, “how about I eat you instead?”

 

In that brief moment Zari knew that their roles had suddenly reversed. This time  _ she _ is on the defensive. “I’m sorry...what? If you kill me then you don’t get what you want. Why would you-.”

 

Charlie let out a short laugh. “No,” she said in a voice that would befit a stripper or a porn star, “not like that, sweetie.”

 

“Then what do you mean b-.” Zari was cut off by Charlie making a V with two of her fingers, bringing it up to her mouth and sticking her tounge in the middle in a faux-licking movement. Zari had hung out with Sara and Ava long enough to know what it meant. ‘Oh,’ she thought, ‘ _ that _ type of eating.’ 

 

“What do you say Z,” Charlie asked, “wanna help me get my protein for the day?” And like that the entertainment value of the banter dropped instantly to zero and Zari felt a strong urge to end the conversation before it was too late.

 

She clapped her hands together and stood up. “How about I just show you how to make them yourself?” She rushed over to refrigerator and pulled out what she needed. From there she told Charlie exactly how to make what she had wanted. While Charlie had seemed disappointed that breakfast hadn’t gone the way she wanted, she still seemed pleased by the situation. Zari, on the other hand, was not. ‘Great, now she knows my weakness. That’s going to bite me in the ass.’ When the two finished breakfast, Charlie got up to leave. However, Zari had other plans for her. 

 

“Where do you think you’re going?”

 

The demon looked at her with one eyebrow raised. “To my room, I have some stuff I want to do.”

 

“Well,” Zari said, “I’m afraid you have some work to do.”

 

“Bullshit,” the demon quickly replied. “It’s Sunday, even I know that you guys don’t do anything today. 

 

“Normally you would be right. However, you,” Zari pointed at the demon with her fork, “need to learn how to teach a history class.”

 

Charlie scoffed. “I’ve seen the rise of civilization from the beginning. I have instigated revolutions. I have even personally tortured some of the worst members of your species.” She shrugged her shoulders. “I’d say I’m probably the best history teacher to have ever existed.”

 

“And there lies the problem.” Zari stacked her dishes and started to clean them as she continued. “You see, normally those qualities would be perfect. If you were a college professor or even a high school teacher, I wouldn’t be concerned. However,” she turned off the sink, “Amaya taught children. Young children who would probably freak out at half the stuff you would tell them.” Zari walked over and pulled out Amaya’s library card. “Down the street there is a building called a library. I want you to go in there and look at the books fourth graders are reading. Once you figure out what you can and can not say, make your lesson plan. Apparently she was starting their Egyptian unit this week.”

 

Charlie looked at the card with disgust. “This is absurd. I did not agree to this.”

 

“Actually,  _ sweetie _ ,” Zari enjoyed using Charlie’s words against her, “you did. You wanted to be Amaya, this is being Amaya. You have a problem, you can fuck off.”

 

After a bit of silence, the demon relented. “Fine,” she took the card aggressively, “I’ll go to the fucking library.” Charlie walked towards the door (mumbling various phrases to the extent of “I’ll show you ‘good teacher!’”) and put on a leather jacket. 

 

With the outfit completed Zari remembered why those clothes were so familiar. “Did you steal my fucking clothes?”

 

Charlie turned and smirked. “I thought I could use some sex appeal.” She twirled around as if she were presenting herself to Zari. “Tell me, do you think it is working?” 

 

“Fuck off”

 

Charlie gave Zari the middle finger as she left. “Love you too.”

 

Zari sighed and fell down on the couch. She was tired, both physically and emotionally. She picked up the controller and turned on her PS4. She decided that some video games should clear her head. 

 

*** (Charlie POV)

 

“This is fucking bullshit,” Charlie said to herself. Not only was Zari forcing her to come here an insult to her intellectual capabilities, but now she has to wait in a line like a simpleton just to get what she wanted. So far she has had to wait ten goddamn minutes for the two people in front of her to finish up. It wasn’t that their requests were that complicated, rather it was the person behind the desk who was to blame. This apathetic, good-for-nothing sack of crap was being an absolute piece of shit. 

 

‘Abbadon would enjoy this one,’ she thought. Abbadon was in charge of torturing those who neglected work. While she could be pretty intense about it, Abbadon was perhaps the closest thing Charlie had to a “friend” in hell. Of course, when it came to hell, there were no friends. It was everyone for themselves, all vying to be Lucifer’s right hand. Her and Abbadon had been no different, they had each fought or betrayed each other at some point in the span of their long lives. However, there were also times when they helped each other. Abbadon had helped Charlie make her ouija board that she used to escape hell, and Charlie had once helped heal Abbadon’s wings.

 

_ Wings. _ The word alone filled her with dread and left the feeling of needles down the demon’s back. She collected herself as she walked up to the counter. 

 

The kid saw her immediately and rolled his eyes. “God, another one?” He leaned forward. “What do you want Gotharella?” 

 

Charlie forced herself to keep a straight face as she replied. “I was wondering if you had any fourth grade level books on Egypt.”

 

“Yes we do.” He then immediately turned and faced his computer.  

 

Charlie was stunned. ‘Is this asshole ignoring me?’ She put her hands on the desk and asked, “well can you help me find them?”

 

“Sure,” the guy said, “they are in the kid’s section. Figure it out yourself.”

 

_ Charlie jumped to the other side of the desk and lifted him with one hand as she choked him. He begged, oh God did he beg. From there she used her claws to rip into him. His screams brought Charlie to orgasm as she bathed and fucked herself in a pool of his blood. Then she went after his siblings, then his parents, then his whole extended family. She would not stop until she purged the world of his bloodlin-! _

 

“Hey goth Barbie!” The insult pulled Charlie out of her daydream. “Can you fuck off already? I have shit to do.”

 

Charlie was ready to make that dream a reality until a voice stopped her, ‘do this and Zari will be pissed.’ While the girl could be an annoying prude, she did currently “hold all the cards” right now when it came to deciding her fate. While killing this asshole would be satisfying in the moment, doing so would make her go back to hell. She could certainly put up with this if it meant going to heaven. 

 

She took a deep breath in and that was when she smelled it. It was strong, really strong. It was weed, the good shit too. Charlie cursed herself for not seeing it earlier, it was practically covering him.

 

“Does your ‘shit,’ as you so eloquently put it,” she leaned in and whispered in his ear, “include the marijuana that is hidden in your desk?” The kid looked at her with a look that was absolutely priceless. She owned his ass, and he knew it. 

 

“So, let’s try this again.”

 

*** (Zari POV)

 

Zari was really starting to get pissed of at the endless repeating “game over” screens that she was getting. ‘Screw this,’ she thought to herself as she turned off the game, ‘I’ll just work on Ray’s thing.’ 

 

However, as she went to back up the stairs she was stopped dead in her tracks. At the bottom of the stairs there was a small red pool. Zari knew full well that it was Amaya’s blood, but still sent a shockwave through her mind. The train of thought that followed brought her to her knees. 

 

‘My best friend died yesterday.’

 

‘Holy shit, I made breakfast for her corpse.’

 

‘Oh God…..I haven’t even cleaned up the blood yet.’

 

Then Zari got up and moved to the closet of cleaning supplies. To say that she knew what she was doing was doing would be a lie. Her mind had completely checked out as she continued her breakdown. Once she was cleaning up the blood, she walked upstairs and went to her bed. Suddenly all the walls she built up to keep her emotions in check shattered like glass. The resulting flood consumed her and for the first time since her friend’s death….

 

She cried.

 

*** (Charlie POV)

Charlie stared at the at the small piece of plastic rectangle she held by her fingertips. She had finished reading all the children’s books on the Egyptians hours ago (the benefits of having the mental capacity of a demigod), and was now examining this identification card that she had in her wallet. 

 

“Amaya……..Jiwae.”

 

It felt strange to Charlie, how her life was now governed by that of a woman whom she knew not of. The demon knew that she was a schoolteacher and that she had apparently been roommates with Zari. Other than what she learned from this card, that was all she knew. The more she thought about this lack of information, the more it scared her. In all the times before, she had simply done what she needed to and paid not a second thought to her hosts’ lives. Now she had to live as one, something she only imagined doing in her nightmares. For a brief moment, she considered abandoning her quest and going back to hell. 

 

‘No,’ she thought to herself, ‘I made a vow. I’m done being a cowardly chickenshit.’

 

She settled back in her seat before something caught her eye. In the corner of her vision was a small girl hiding behind a bookshelf. The girl was about 4 ½ feet tall of (what Charlie could tell was) mixed-race complexion. She wore blue jeans, tennis shoes and a t shirt. The latter two bore a shade of pink that made the demon want to gag. Charlie had noticed her standing there ten minutes ago and it would seem the little minx had been lurking there since. 

 

“Can I help you?” 

 

The girl jumped when she first heard the demon. However, her fear soon wore off and she began to walk over. Charlie could now make out the young girl’s chocolate-colored eyes and short brown hair. ‘Oh fuck,’ Charlie thought, ‘she’s actually coming over.’

 

“Hi Miss Jiwae,” the young girl said in a nervous voice, “it’s me, Nora, from the 4B class.” The demon nodded her head and pretended to understand. “I can’t find my mom,” Nora looked down at her feet, “and people say not to talk to an adult you don’t know or trust. So I was wondering,” she looked up at the demon (‘is she fucking “puppy-eyeing” me?’ Charlie thought), “can you help me find my mom? I know you and I trust you.” 

 

If her siblings could see her now they would be laughing. A small child calling a demon trustworthy was like a bad joke. Perhaps Mom did have a sense of humor after all. 

 

“Come sit down,” Charlie said, “if your mother is looking for you, it is best to stay in one place.” Normally Charlie couldn’t care less but she figured that at the very least helping a kid would convince Zari to help her sooner. Besides, this way she at least didn’t have to move.

 

Nora replied, “thank you Miss Jiwae,” and sat down. The two sat in silence for a few minutes. It wasn’t as though Charlie did not like kids, rather she just wasn’t used to them. There were no children in hell (unless they were irredeemable bastards), and the lack of interaction made them like an alien species to Charlie. What’s more, Charlie had no real childhood herself that she could relate to. However, she soon realized that due to her current employment she would be forced to  _ interact  _ with these creatures. ‘So,’ she thought, ‘let’s try communicating with one and see how we do.’

 

“So Nora,” Charlie tried to think of the most simple question she could, “what do you want to be when you grow up?”

 

The young girl beamed at her. “I wanna be the president!” The demon started laughing. “What,” she asked, “you don’t think I can be president?”

 

“No,” Charlie chuckled, “it’s just-. How do I say this?” The demon paused to consider her words. “You seem too nice to be a politician.”

 

The girl was confused. “But,” she asked, “aren’t politicians supposed to be good?”

 

“Oh you naive little girl.” The demon took out a piece of paper and a pencil. “Let me tell you about these little things called bribes.”

 

And thus, the lesson began.

 

*** (Zari POV)

 

Zari woke to the sound of banging coming from downstairs. She groggily grabbed the alarm clock on her nightstand.

 

‘Shit,’ she thought, ‘I fell asleep.’

 

When the banging continued, Zari decided to do something. She put on her clothes and walked down the stairs. She was going to deal with the demon’s antics one way or another.

 

It wasn’t Charlie.

 

*** (Charlie POV)

“And that,” Charlie explained, “is why politicians are nothing more than corrupt puppets of the rich who sell their souls and dignity for cold, hard cash.” The demon smiled as Nora absorbed what she was taught.

 

“So politicians are evil?” Nora appeared to contemplate this for a bit before replying with a smile. “Cool!”

 

“I’m sorry, what?”

 

“Being a politician sounds awesome! I can rich by doing nothing!” The young girl pulled her jacket over her face in a mock-vampire pose. “Plus, I can manipulate things from the shadows to help my friends.” 

 

The child was oddly charming to the demon. “Well,” Charlie chuckled, “that’s one way to look at it.” As Nora continued to discuss her plan, Charlie soon found herself….enjoying it. Unlike the asshats that she had met before this child was actually fun to talk to. If the thought wasn’t so disgusting to her, the demon would even say that she liked this human. “I’ll tell you what,” the demon said, “if you still want to be president when you grow up, let me know. I can be your campaign manager! That way you can be as corrupt as you want while still being a good person.”

 

The girl smiled. “You really mean it?”

 

“Of course. All I ask is that in exchange you be my,” Charlie struggled to say it, “friend.” She held out her hand to Nora.

 

The girl took it and shook. “You have a deal, Miss Jiwae.” Nora was smiling from ear to ear.

 

“Nora!” Charlie turned to see a dark skilled woman emerge from one of the shelves. She reached forward and hugged Nora. “I’ve been looking for you. It’s time to go.” Nora smiled as she gathered up her belongings. The older woman held out a hand to the demon. “I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m Iris West-Allen, Nora’s mother.”

 

Charlie returned the courtesy. “I’m Amaya Jiwae. I teach Nora’s history class.”

 

Iris’s eyes grew in recognition. “Oh Miss Jiwae,” she said, “I’m sorry if we disturbed you in any way.”

 

“Please,” Charlie stopped her, “call me Charlie. Nora and I were actually just having a fun conversation about what she wants to be when she grows up.” She turned to face the child in question. “Weren’t we?”

 

“Yeah! Miss Jiwae is awesome!”

 

The two older women chuckled and Iris tugged on the child’s hand. “Now, what do we say to the nice lady?”

 

In response Nora ran up and hugged the very confused demon. “Thank you Miss Jiwae.”

 

Charlie, who was starting to very uncomfortable at this point, lightly pushed the child off of her. “You are welcome….small….child… Now go with your mother.” 

 

The pair said goodbye as the demon stood satisfied with herself. “Niceness challenge,” she smiled, “successful.”

 

***

As Charlie walked through The door she noticed that the room was a mess. Chairs were thrown all over the place, Who was on the walls, it was as though a bomb went off in their apartment. Before she could say anything she was quickly pulled to the side by her roommate. 

 

“Charlie,” she exclaimed in an exasperated voice, “thank god you’re back!”

 

The demon was very confused. “What the hell happened.”

 

Zari pointed over to the kitchen which appeared to have chairs blocking it. “There is something loose in the apartment,” she said. “I can’t see it, but I think I trapped it in there. I need you to help me get rid of it.”

 

The demon was amused by her desperation. “So much so that you would sell your soul perhaps?”

 

“Are you fucking serious,” she asked, “If this thing is loose in the apartment, it’s your ass on the line too.”

 

Charlie Rolled her eyes. “Fine,” she said, “but I’m gonna call in this favor later.” She snuck over with Zari to the entrance of the kitchen and looked in. As soon as she saw what it was a terrible thought came to her mind: ‘this is going to be so much fun.’ 

 

*** (Zari POV)

“Holy shit Z,” Charlie said, her eyes widening, “do you have any idea what that is?” The demon turned and Zari swore she almost looked scared. “It’s a hellhound!”

 

Zari was mentally freaking out. This thing had been terrorizing her for the past two hours. If it was a hellhound...then they needed to fucking get rid of it. “Is there any way to get rid of it?”

 

Charlie lit up, “there is!” The demon immediately went to the table and grabbed the newspaper. Afterwards, she closed her eyes and said what Zari guessed was a magic spell. “Ego vere non quid facere!” She then leaned down and handed it to Zari.

 

“Are you serious,” she asked, “you want me to fight a hellhound with a rolled-up newspaper?” 

 

The demon rolled her eyes. “It’s a magic spell. A piece of enchanted wood that has made contact with Hell can send the beast home.” She pointed to the newspaper, “paper comes from wood,” then to herself, “and I’m from Hell. It will work.”

 

“Fine.”

 

“Good,” Charlie said, “he’s in the corner. Go get him.” Zari stood up and slowly moved her way into the kitchen. She only made it two steps before something pushed her to the ground. She felt something heavy keep her in place and hot, wet air on her face. ‘Oh god,’ she thought, ‘it’s right on top of me.’ She quickly swatted forward with the newspaper and while it did seem to hit the creature, it had no effect. There was a loud growl and Zari closed her eyes as she prepared for the worst. However, instead of being eaten alive, she instead felt like she was being covered in some slimy liquid.

 

‘Holy shit. It’s fucking licking me.’

 

Charlie started laughing. “Holy shit love, I did expect her to start licking you! This is hilarious.”

 

Zari, who was in the middle of trying not to get licked, did not share the demon’s feeling towards this. “A little help please!”

 

The demon smirked. “ _ Assumere un'altra forma! _ ” Zari closed her eyes as the creature started brightly glowing. When she opened her eyes, the hellhound possessed the form of a small, lightish-brown corgi. It seemed almost indistinguishable from a normal corgi, except for the purple punk-style mohawk. The creature stared at Zari with its tongue out in an almost friendly manner. Charlie whistled and the dog lept up into the arms of its demon master.

 

“Oh Dante,” the demon cooed as she scratched the dog’s belly, “I’m the only one who is going to be licking Zari here.” 

 

Zari got up and grabbed a beer from the fridge. “Do you mind explaining?”

 

Charlie smiled and held out the corgi. “This is Dante.” The dog let out a cute bark upon the saying of its name. “You know, like Dante’s _ Inferno _ . He’s a little hellhound puppy I adopted a while back. He must have followed me through the ouiji board.” She giggled. “I’ve never seen him warm up to someone as quickly as he has with you though. I think he likes you.”

 

The mortal took a sip. “Why does he look like a corgi?”

 

“Oh that’s just glamor.”

 

“The hell is glamor?”

 

Charlie went back to cradling Dante as she explained. “Glamor is basically appearance magic that is really easy to cast. It’s basically a way that he can interact the physical world without having to deal with his normal, bulky form.”

 

Zari seemed to understand. “So he has been shrunken to look like that?”

 

The demon shrugged. “Kind of. His body is still here, just in a different state of existence. Think of the corgi as a hand puppet through which humans can see him. Otherwise you would have to deal with living with a bear-sized hellhound.” She then stared off into space. “I can still see him though. So it’s not a perfect disguise.”

 

Zari rolled her eyes. “So I take it that whole magic shit was made up?”

 

Charlie smiled. “No, that was true. An enchanted piece of wood that has made contact with Hell CAN actually send him back. I just flubbed the spell.” She winked at Zari, “I did promise not to lie, didn’t I?”

 

Out of nowhere the answering machine came to life. Zari’s eyes rolled as their voice-mail message (“speak!”) played. After the subsequent beep, Sara’s voice filled the apartment. 

 

“Hey guys, just wanted to check in. We didn’t see you at the bar last night, so we were hoping you would stop by. Plus, Ray’s out on his date and Ava says we need someone responsible to watch us, so bring Amaya. She really needs to get out of the house. Seeya!”

 

Charlie smiled. “Well, I guess that answers what my favor will be!”

 

“No.”

 

“Come on Z!” She put down Dante as she continued. “You want me to embrace being Amaya,” she chuckled, “well it would seem Amaya actually has fun once in a while.” 

 

Zari was quick to cut off this line of thinking. “Absolutely not. You are not ready.”

 

“I’ll be fine. Besides, you and I both know that this is the best way for me to learn human customs.”

 

Zari thought about it for a moment. She did make a valid point about the whole learning thing. ‘Plus,’ she thought, ‘if she does fuck up I can just blame it on the alcohol. After all, how bad could it be?’

 

***

‘This bad apparently.’ 

 

It wasn’t that Charlie wasn’t integrating well, rather that she was doing too good of a job. Her rockstar-esque persona (coupled with her tank top, choker, and skintight leather pants) let her fit right in. In the ninety minutes since her arrival, she won two drinking contests and was sent over drinks from ten separate admirers of both genders. That even includes the twenty minutes she spent with one of the girls in the female restroom (she emerged with an ear-to-ear smile and smeared lipstick, while the other girl stumbled out as though her legs had fallen asleep). It would seem as though she didn’t have a care in the world.

 

Zari, on the other hand, never felt more stressed. If the sight of her flirting with people wasn’t bad enough, her friends clearly knew something was up. Currently they were all watching her dance on a table while dancing to  _ Hips Don’t Lie _ by Shakira.

 

“Well,” Sara said, “she’s certainly different.” 

 

Sara Lance was the owner of The Waverider and an all-around badass. When she was in college she went to the olympics and won gold in gymnastics as she was earning her degree in business. In addition, she also managed to basically turn herself into a living weapon through mastering different fighting styles and weapons training (a trait that has allowed her to be the owner, bouncer, and darts champion due to her throwing star skills). However, she is also a key member of the local LGBT community. Her sponsorship deals (in addition to running a highly successful restaurant) has allowed her to fund and arrange different programs for LGBT youth, including parades, dating, and even food drives for those whose families rejected them. 

 

Mick grunted to himself. “I like it.” The ladies all stared at him. “What,” he shrugged, “she’s fun now. Give me a break.”

 

Zari smiled and rolled her eyes. Mick Rory was (what could be best described as) the “drunk uncle” of the group. From what Zari could tell Mick had first joined the group at the prompting of his friend: Leonard Snart. The two had been through juvie together and occasionally did some less-than-legal activities together. However, after the “Legends” group was formed, Snart died. This was before Nate and Amaya joined, but from what she could gather, Mick stayed because he felt like this group had become his family. Zari had always enjoyed hanging out with Mick because of usually blunt approach to things. His usual response to a problem is either burn it or punch it. However, by no means did that make him dumb. He had channeled his pyromania into becoming an expert at demolitions. 

 

“Hey Zari,” she turned to see Ava transfixed by the dancing before her, “Amaya’s okay right?”

 

Ava Sharpe was the most recent addition to the odd menagerie that made up their group. It was Nate who first brought her to the bar to celebrate her promotion to the Heywood Corporation's head of security. At first, her uptight attitude was rather vexing to the group and to Sara in particular. That night the interactions between the two was the closest thing to a bar fight Zari had ever seen in the Waverider. However, after a few months of calmer interactions (and sexual tension building) led to the growing relationship between the two women. The result? According to Gideon, she arrived to work one morning to find them “resting in each other’s arms, post-coitis, on padded table of the corner booth.” Sara replaced the “stained” furniture (though everyone knows that she kept the originals), and the two have been together ever since. 

 

“Yeah. She’s….,” Zari struggled to come up with a reasonable excuse. “She’s trying something new!” Ava turned to face her, one eyebrow raised questioningly. “Amaya’s trying to go through life with no regrets! See the freedom she has to be herself!” When Ava continued to stare Zari rolled her eyes. “Okay, she may have also hit her head really hard a few days ago. I’m going to take her into the hospital and get her checked out.” 

 

Ava nodded. “Probably a good move.”

 

Sara groaned. “Oh come on! Look at her!” She motioned to the dancing demon. “Amaya’s having the time of her life and is adjusting well to the breakup of a long term relationship.” She took a sip of her drink. “I say more power to her.”

 

At the same time, the demon in question hopped off the table and walked over to where the group was sitting. “Hey y’all,” she cheerfully greeted, “I couldn’t help but notice that your piano was sitting unused.” She gestured over to the stage area where a old-west style bar piano sat. “I was wondering if I could take it for a brief spin.”

 

Sara seemed confused. “Since when have you known how to play piano?”

 

Charlie, without missing a beat, replied: “well, I’ve been dabbling recently.” She paused for a bit. “May I?”

 

Sara shrugged. “Fine by me I guess. Entertainment cancelled on me anyway so I don’t see why not.” She turned to Zari. “Can you help set up the mic for her?”

 

“Alright then.” Zari got up and her roommate followed her. Once they were out of earshot, however, she called out the demon. “Just what do you think you are doing.”

 

Charlie made a mockingly offended look. “Why Zari, am I that untrustworthy?” She chuckled as the mortal glared at her. “Fine. I just wanted to have some fun and I saw the piano.” She shrugged. “Figured I could make some music with it.”

 

“Have you even played a piano before?”

 

The demon snickered. “Have you ever heard  _ Devil Went Down to Georgia _ ?” When Zari shook her head Charlie continued. “Well, let’s just say we demons take pride in our music.”

 

Zari rolled her eyes and set to work on the sound system. In the background she could hear Charlie tuning the piano. The sound absolutely amazed her. According to Sara, Rip bought that piano when he first opened the bar. However, despite the fact that there had been no form of maintenance done to it in the years since then, it almost sounded brand new. ‘It must be magic,’ she thought. When she was done hooking everything up, she placed a mic stand near where Charlie was sitting.

 

“Thanks love,” she said. “Now sit down and enjoy the show.”

 

With that she sat down with Sara and the others. ‘Let’s see how this goes,’ she thought as the demon cracked her knuckles and prepared to play.

 

(Song: Angry Young Man by Billy Joel link to piano version: [ https://youtu.be/0KThppq434c ](https://youtu.be/0KThppq434c) )

 

Zari almost couldn’t believe the sound she was hearing. The speed and precision with which she played the piano sent a wave of awe throughout the entire bar. Hell, even Sara looked impressed.

 

Out of nowhere Mick started chuckling. “No way.”

 

“What?” Ava asked.

 

Mick smiled as he replied. “It’s a great song.” After taking a sip of his beer he continued. “I love Billy Joel.”

 

The female trio was genuinely surprised by that. “Well,” Sara said, “learn something new every day.”

 

_ “There's a place in the world for the angry young man _

_ With his working class ties and his radical plans _

_ He refuses to bend, he refuses to crawl _

_ He's always at home with his back to the wall _

_ And he's proud of his scars and the battles he's lost _

_ And he struggles and bleeds as he hangs on the cross _

_ And he likes to be known as the angry young man” _

 

As Charlie sang the lyrics her voice was like a siren’s. It demanded the unbridled attention of all those who heard it. In truth, it looked as though she were giving her entire self to this song, as if it was the one thing that brought her life.

 

“ _ Give a moment or two to the angry young man _

_ With his foot in his mouth and his heart in his hand _

_ He's been stabbed in the back, he's been misunderstood _

_ It's a comfort to know his intentions are good _

_ And he sits in a room with a lock on the door _

_ With his maps and his medals laid out on the floor _

_ And he likes to be known as the angry young man _ __  
  


_ I believe I've passed the age of consciousness and righteous rage _

_ I found that just surviving was a noble fight _

_ I once believed in causes too _

_ I had my pointless point of view _

_ And life went on no matter who was wrong or right” _

 

By this point she had the entire bar at her feet. People were cheering and singing along as she delivered an amazing performance. At a certain point she stopped facing the piano itself and let her fingers find the keys themselves. This allowed her to play to the audience and liven it up even more. In fact Zari could swear that at certain points she was winking and kissing right at her.

 

“So,” Sara said, “exactly how long as she been taking lessons?”

 

Zari was almost too entranced by the performance to answer. “Oh you know. A couple of weeks now.”

 

There was a long pause. “Damn.”

 

_ “And there's always a place for the angry young man _

_ With his fist in the air and his head in the sand _

_ And he's never been able to learn from mistakes _

_ So he can't understand why his heart always breaks _

_ But his honor is pure and his courage as well _

_ And he's fair and he's true and he's boring as hell _

(Zari couldn’t help but notice Charlie look in her direction during that line)

_ And he'll go to the grave as an angry old man _ __  
  


_ There's a place in the world for the angry young man _

_ With his working class ties and his radical plans _

_ He refuses to bend, he refuses to crawl _

_ He's always at home with his back to the wall _

_ And he's proud of his scars and the battles he's lost _

_ And he struggles and bleeds as he hangs on the cross _

_ And he likes to be known as the angry young man” _

 

With the final note played she ended the song to the cheering and clapping of the entire bar. 

 

Charlie stood up and gave an incredibly theatrical bow. “Thank you! Thank you! I’ll be here until the end of days!”

 

Sara turned to Zari. “You think Amaya would want to perform regularly here?”

 

“For real,” Zari asked, “why?”

 

“Well look at the crowd she brought in. If she can give an incredible impromptu performance, imagine what she could do with regular gigs.” She saw the doubt in Zari’s eyes so she changed her tone a bit. “Look, I know you guys have work tomorrow. But at least swing the idea by her.”

 

Zari looked over to see the demon in question flirting with some of her newfound fans. ‘That’s it,’ she thought. She walked over as the demon was signing her name on the collarbone of a girl clad in leather. “Hey  _ Amaya _ ,” she said, grabbing the demon’s attention. “Outside. Now.” With that, she headed for the exit, followed closely by her roommate. 

 

Once outside Charlie tried to break the ice. “So are we doing this right now? I mean, I’m down, but I’m think I’m gonna need a few seconds to recharge after the sing-.” She was cut off when Zari slapped her in the face. While she intended this to shut her up, the demon only smiled as she faced her. “Never mind, that did it! Let’s do this!”

 

“You think that this is a joke?” Zari yelled. “Do you think I like covering your ass? You,” she pointed one finger at the demon, “are supposed to be Amaya! Not some horny, drunk demon! Pull. Your. Shit. Together.”

 

Charlie scoffed. “Listen princess,” she replied, “I’m not some Amaya doll you can just play around with and control. Now, I agreed to live Amaya’s life. However, I’m not going to sacrifice who I am just so that you can play house. I. Rule. Me.”

 

“So what? You play your piano for a bit and suddenly you think you’re better than everyone? Is that it?”

 

The demon sneered. “I don’t THINK I’m better than you.” She stepped so the two were face to face. “I AM better than you.”

 

There was a long pause before Zari conceded. “Fine,” she said, “you win. But remember, the ONLY reason you are still here is because someone much smarter than me said so. Keep this shit up and the MINUTE a year has passed, I will gladly send you back to hell.” She walked over and opened her car. “Now get in, we have work tomorrow.”

 

Charlie did so, unaware of the blonde man in a tan trench coat who was watching her.

 

***(3rd person POV)

At the same time across town, a very different scene was playing out between two people. A small car belonging to Ray Palmer parked outside a condo belonging to one Anna Loring. Raymond Palmer opened the passenger door and offered a hand to his date of the night. She was a beautiful woman with long, raven-colored hair. Her red lipstick and dress contrasted against her pale skin.

 

Ray smiled. “Shall I madame Loring?”

 

Anna briefly chuckled before composing herself. “You shall mister Palmer.” She took his hand as she moved out of her seat. As they walked to her door (neither letting the other go), Anna turned to look at him. “Well, I can honestly say that this is probably the best first date I have ever been on.”

 

Ray was confused. “Are you sure? The restaurant canceled our reservation and-.” He rambled on until Anna started laughing.

 

“Ray,” she said in a soothing voice, “it doesn’t matter.” She pointed at the man before her. “You were what I liked about it. You’re smart. You’re nice.” She paused and muttered something Ray almost didn’t hear. “You may be the first truly good person I’ve ever met.”

 

Ray smiled as he looked at her with a puzzled look. “Oh come on,” he said, “that can’t be true.”

 

Dark memories flashed across Anna’s features as she turned away. “You’d be surprised.”

 

When they arrived at the door Ray bowed and dramatically presented it. “I believe this is your stop.”

 

This caused Anna’s dark look to fade away. “Yes, I believe it is.”

 

As she was getting her keys out of her purse, Ray spoke up. “So,” he said, “I was thinking. Would you be interested in going out again this Wednesday? My friends own this really nice bar in the city and they are dying to meet you. Do you wanna come?”

 

Anna unlocked the door and in response gave him a kiss on the cheek. “I think I would like that very much.” She stepped in the doorway before turning back. “Goodnight Mister Palmer.”


	4. First day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlie’s first day as a teacher. What could go wrong?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So apparently this is how my brain works:  
> Me:actually manages to outline a full story.  
> Brain: Charlie as a teacher would be a fun one shot  
> Me: okay *sits down intending on it being a short chapter*  
> Brain: nope! Must...include...world-building!  
> Me: *cranks out this long-ass thing* goddamnit  
> So yeah, this chapter took a bit to make, sorry! The next one will (hopefully) be shorter. I saw the Zarlie moment from tonight’s episode and sensed a Zarlie comeback.
> 
> I don’t own Legends but I really wish I did

_Darkness._

 

_Charlie looked around but it was no use. They were trapped in endless, absolute…._

 

_Darkness._

 

_Charlie had never known darkness before. It’s concept was meaningless in the warm, bright light of heaven. They had always found that light comforting. After all, it was their home._

 

_Not anymore._

 

_Charlie had no idea how long they had been falling (‘a few days at least’ they think). Her sense of time went out the window when they couldn’t see the light of heaven.  By their estimates, it took a day for them to be swallowed by the absolute darkness._

 

_It took even longer for them to stop screaming._

 

_‘Why?’ That question haunted their mind. It wasn’t that they didn’t know why this was happening to them, rather it was asked in desperation._

 

_“Why?”_

 

_They did not deserve this; being damned for all eternity because of love. Charlie just wanted to help their family. How could their mother, who valued family above everything, possibly punish them for it?_

 

_Bright._

 

_The angel looked down to see herself approaching a light: bright orange light. But this light wasn’t good, it wasn’t soothing._

 

_It_ **_burned_ ** _._

 

_As Charlie got closer, they felt it getting hotter and hotter until it was unbearable. The angel looked at their hands to see the skin bubbling in boiling. They tried to scream in pain but the air choked them. It was like trying to breathe in a pool of lava. The angel tried to shift into a different form in hopes of sparing themselves from the burning flames. However, it was in vain and the pain Charlie felt as they burned overwhelmed their senses._

 

_“Mother,” the angel reached to the heavens as they begged for mercy, “please! Help me! Why are you doing this to me?”_

 

Three loud knocks pulled the demon out of her slumber. They were followed by Zari’s voice. “Hey hellspawn, wake up. I made breakfast.”

 

Charlie grumbled as she got out of bed. The demon stretched and grabbed her robe. While having Zari see her naked would be hilarious, even she had to admit it was too early in the morning for that. She looked over to see Dante sitting on the end of the bed.

 

The dog barked. _“Bad dreams?”_

 

Charlie chuckled. “Your concern for me is appreciated, but I’m fine.” She sighed before turning back to the corgi. “What’s she making?”

 

The dog sniffed the air before replying. _“Waffles, eggs, and some fruit. Master Zari is very generous.”_

 

The demon rolled her eyes. “Loyalty much?” She chuckled. “How come you never called me ‘master’?”

 

Dante huffed as he replied. _“The first time I met you, you were on a drug-fueled bender.”_ The dog lowered his head as he continued. _“It wasn’t the best first impression.”_

 

“Come on,” the demon snapped her fingers by her leg, “let’s go eat.” Dante hopped down and the two walked down to the kitchen where Zari had two plates set up for the both of them. She sat down at the other end of the table from where the mortal was sitting and dug in to her food.

 

“So,” Zari started, “in preparation for your first day, I have arranged some things for you to better integrate.” She pulled out a binder. “It has Amaya’s passwords, schedule, and other basic information. I also did some research last night and compiled some information on your colleagues.” She handed it to Charlie who examined it before putting it down. “Then there is the matter of your outfit.”

 

“What’s wrong with my clothes?”

 

Zari closed her eyes briefly and sighed before continuing. “Well, unless you want the award for ‘sluttiest teacher’, I wouldn’t dress in clothes that would give teenage boys an erection the moment they see you.”

 

“And girls!” Charlie quickly added, “it is 2018 after all.”

 

“Anyway,” Zari said, bringing attention back to her point. “I have some clothes laid out on my bed for you once you finish breakfast.” The mortal continued to eat until she noticed the corgi sitting at her feet. “Hey Charlie,” she asked, “this thing doesn’t have a special diet consisting of babies or something, does it?”

 

The demon shrugged. “Z, it’s a hellhound, it doesn’t /need/ to eat at all.” Charlie took a few more bites before continuing. “It’s more of a treat than anything.” Zari seemed to regard the dog before picking up her untouched bacon and handing it to Dante. “Aww,” Charlie smiled, “you like him!”

 

“I don’t like him, it’s insurance so that he doesn’t eat me.”

 

Dante finished the bacon and began resting at Zari’s feet. _“Master Zari is good. I will protect this one.”_

 

Charlie rolled her eyes, she was getting sick of the dog kissing up to Zari. “Hey Zari,” she said with a mischievous glint in her eye, “do you think I can bring Dante with me to work. That way he can get used to being around more people!”

 

Zari did a spit take as Dante barked. “What?”/ _“WHAT?”_

 

*** (7:30)

Charlie pulled up to the school at thirty miles an hour in a beige 2002 impala. ‘Shit,’ she thought, ‘that’s a big building.’ According to what she had read on the way, “big” didn’t begin to describe it. Central Academy was a large school that consisted of lower, middle, and upper school all in one (‘ah good,’ the demon thought, ‘the class system still exists’). It had a theater, two gyms, a football field and even a goddamn pool.

 

The demon drove into her parking spot and turned to her passenger. “So,” she said coyly, “you ready to go?”

 

There sat Dante, de-mohawked, in a baby car seat. He looked at his master with annoyance. _“I hate you.”_

 

“Call it the price for disloyalty.” She exited the car, walked around and opened the passenger door. She undid Dante’s seatbelt and attached a leash. “Come on,” she said, “apparently we have a meeting to get to.”

 

The demon walked into the school, hellhound in tow, and followed a map to the meeting room. As she walked, Charlie couldn’t help but fidget with her clothes. They were so….constricting. She considered changing but she remembered effort it took to put on the clothes to begin with.

 

***

_Charlie stepped out of her room and walked into Zari’s for her “presentation.” Part of her hoped that Zari hated it as much as she did and let her put on some normal clothes. The clothes disgusted Charlie and she had to keep herself from throwing up as she put them on (though it may have also had to do with the tequila from last night)._

 

_She opened the door and Zari looked at her. “Damn it,” she said, shaking her head with annoyance, “I made it worse.”_

 

_Charlie pretended to look sad. “Oh no,” she sarcastically said, “what’s wrong? Want me to change?”_

 

_“Have you looked in a mirror?” Zari pointed at a large mirror next to her bed, and Charlie moved in front of it as she continued. “You went from sexy biker chick to slutty teacher! All you need are the glasses and your porn look is complete!”_

 

_The demon acknowledged herself in the mirror. She was wearing a plain white button-up shirt, khaki pants, and a black belt. They hugged her curves well and she had to admit it was a good look. But still…. “I still don’t like it,” she said, “are you sure I can’t wear something else?”_

 

_Zari sighed. “For once,” she said, “I agree with you. We can get some new clothes later. But for right now, you’re going to have to wear that.”_

 

_“Fine.” Charlie turned to exit the room before stopping. “So,” she said, “teachers. Is that your “thing” then?”_

 

_“Charlie,” she said frankly, “slutty teacher is a LOT of people’s thing. That doesn’t mean it’s /my/ thing.” This caused the demon to huff and leave._

 

***

She finally got to the meeting room and opened the door. She could tell she had interrupted some kind of discussion by the way the room became silent. “Ah, Miss Jiwae,” Charlie turned to face the deep voice that had addressed her, “just in time. Would you mind taking a seat?” He looked at her leash before his eyes trailed down to where Dante was sitting. “I didn’t know you had a dog.” The mortal turned back to look at her. “He can stay, but you know the rule: no interfering with class, and keep it in the room.”

 

_‘Hank Henshaw,’_ she thought to herself as she remembered what the binder said, _‘headmaster of the school. Kind, yet fair. Do not fuck with him.’_ She flashed a smile as she replied. “Sure thing chief.” The demon then picked up Dante into her lap and sat down.

 

Charlie was sitting for about five minutes before she heard a female voice whisper in her ear. “So, what’s the reason?”

 

The demon turned to see a girl with dark brown hair and milk-like skin leaning into her. “Excuse me?”

 

The girl rolled her eyes. “Come on,” she whispered excitedly, “you’re never late. We have to know.”

 

Immediately a man with slicked-back black hair popped up behind the woman. “It was traffic, wasn’t it?” The man spoke in a matter-of-fact voice that reminded Charlie of a robot.

 

“Brainy,” the woman turned to the man (apparently named Brainy) behind her, “let the girl speak!”

 

Brainy turned and raised an eyebrow at the girl. “Miss Nal,” he said, “statistically speaking, 83% of those who are late here are so because of the traffic from drop off.” The mortal turned to face Charlie. “Right?”

 

The demon looked at the two humans awkwardly. “Uuuuhhhh….no.” She cleared her throat before continuing. “I was just dealing with my roommate.”

 

Miss Nal smiled. “Hell yeah!” She then stood up. “Hey everyone,” the mortal spoke for all to hear while Brainy sat in disbelief, “the fabulous Mr. Dox has just lost a bet, so he’s bringing donuts next time!”

 

The room erupted in cheers and laughs before Mr. Henshaw motioned for people to quiet down. “Alright everyone, school’s about to start.” He turned to face Charlie. “Amaya, I’ll send you an email on what you missed. The rest of you, get to work. The annual fundraiser is coming up and we want total faculty involvement.” With that, everyone stood up and prepared start the day.

 

“So, Nal.” Charlie said.

 

The girl laughed as she leaned down to pet Dante, which he gratefully accepted. “Oh come on Amaya, it’s just Nia.” Nia paused. “Speaking of names,” she continued to scratch behind the hellhound’s ears, “who is this little guy?”

 

It was then that Charlie began to notice things about the woman before her. Nothing concrete, just a feeling. While she held the appearance of a female, and was very clearly human, something about her was just…. _off_. “Well,” the demon awkwardly regained focus, “his name is-.”

 

“Wait!” Charlie turned to see Brainy walking over. “Let me guess, I need to make up for earlier.” Charlie shrugged and the mortal squatted in front of the dog. “I’m guessing….Winston Churchill?” The demon shook her head. “Brutus?” Another head shake. “Beethoven?”

 

Charlie laughed. “His name is Dante.”

 

“Who is Dante?”

 

Nia laughed. “Oh Brainy. It’s Dante Alighieri. He wrote the _Divine Comedy_.” She laid her hand on one of his shoulders. “Score one for the English teacher.”

 

***

(8:15)

_“Charlie,”_ the hellhound frantically called out, “ _help. Please. They won’t stop petting me!”_ The demon smiled as she gazed upon the ring of children that now surrounded the hellhound. _“At first it was nice, but now they won’t leave!”_

 

Charlie rolled her eyes. “Alright children,” she paused to take a sip from her flask, “let’s sit down and start the class.” The children seemed disappointed, but they obliged. This left room for Dante to run away from the children and into the demon’s arms. Charlie sarcastically asked the dog; “had enough fun yet,” to which Dante only growled. “Now class,” she said after all the children were in place, “how was your guy’s weekend?”

 

The whole class answered in unison. “Good, Miss Jiwae. How about you?”

 

‘Holy shit that’s creepy,’ the demon thought. “Uh, good.” She turned to the blackboard as she continued. “Anyway, today we will be going over-.”

 

“Excuse me,” Charlie heard a little boy cut her off in an annoying, snarky voice, “aren’t you forgetting something Miss Jiwae?” She turned around and looked in the direction of the noise to see a kid in a polo shirt with a shit-eating grin on his face.

 

“And what,” she forced a smile, “would that be?”

 

The kid turned to one of his classmates who looked as though he was trying to hide while sitting in his chair. “Miss Jiwae, didn’t we have some homework to do over the weekend?”

 

Instantly Charlie knew what was going on. “Well,” she said as she approached the desk, “perhaps we can take this time for you to learn another lesson.” When she arrived she placed two hands on the small desk. “No one likes a snitch.” She turned to the other students. “Am I wrong?” The others shook their heads ‘no.’ “Well then,” she said, “today there will be no assignment due.” The demon walked over to the kid who looked like he was trying to hide and held out her fist, which he returned with a fist bump. “Now,” the demon proudly announced, “let’s begin our unit on ancient Egypt. We will start with the thing I know you all are most interested in: the mummies.” She wrote the word ‘mummy’ on the blackboard. “First question: can anyone tell me how the practice of mummification worked?”

 

***(9:15)

“And that, children, is how the Egyptians ritualistically removed the organs and placed them in jars.” Charlie turned around with an ear-to-ear grin, “any questions before you go?”

 

The children, on the other hand, were in a mixed state of awe and horror. One child raised his hand. “Miss Jiwae,” the girl nervously said, “I think John passed out.”

 

The teacher turned to see the snitch from earlier face-down on his desk like he had fallen asleep. “Eh,” she shrugged, “he’ll be fine.” She whistled and Dante ran over and started licking the boy’s face. This successfully revived him and Charlie heard a knock on the door. “Alright kids,” the demon frantically announced as the children prepared to leave, “you apparently have a textbook. Read the first Egyptian section and write notes about it.”

 

As the children left, she looked at her schedule. ‘Ten minutes until next class,’ she thought. Charlie sat down and examined the binder before her. She opened it up and found the page on Nia and Brainy. She sped-read through their pages, but she got the general gist of it. Apparently they were Amaya’s main work friends. Brainy was a science teacher while Nia was an english teacher. She looked through Nia’s profile to try and figure out what the weird feeling was, but apparently she was completely ordinary. The demon closed the binder as another thought entered her mind.

 

She quickly erased the blackboard before sitting down at her desktop computer. This contraption was amazing. She had only been able to look at her “smart-phone” for a bit, but it seemed to have limitless information. And information is exactly what she needed right now. The demon turned it on and inputted the password ( _Nathaniel_ , apparently). From there, she pulled up the google thing and was sitting at search page. Charlie was unsure of what she should look up. It would be useful to see had had transpired in the years since she had last been on earth, or even to know what popular culture had created. However, all those ideas flew out the window as the demon typed down three little words.

 

_Zari Adrianna Tomaz_.

 

Charlie had grown curious about the mortal woman who held her existence in the palm of her hand. She moved the mouse, but paused over the ‘search’ option. ‘There’s probably nothing,’ a part of her thought, ‘nothing worth seeing.’ However, the other part presented a more compelling argument: ‘she won’t be so high and mighty after we have digital proof of her poor life choices!’ Much like the NSA, Charlie decided to throw privacy to the wind and clicked ‘search’. The screen blinked for a few seconds before a collection of headlines popped up. Charlie was only able to read a few headlines before there was a knock on the door, but the ones she did read painted an interesting picture.

 

_Young Heywood Industries coder revolutionizes cybersecurity!_

 

_Tech prodigy turns down hometown full-ride in favor of a college on the other side of the country!_

 

However, what was most interesting was the headline from a place called ‘Ann Arbor, Michigan.’

 

_18 year old daughter of local imam spends night in jail for religious vandalism, community baffled!_

 

‘Oh my, Zari,’ the demon thought as she chuckled to herself, ‘you may be interesting after all.’

 

***(10:25)

After finishing with the second class of the day, the demon decided to spend her thirty minute break in the teacher’s lounge. While the class wasn’t as eventful as the first one, the demon was happy to see that Nora was present. The mortal shared her sentiment and had even brought her an apple (how appropriate). The teacher was happy to see her protégé so interested in her teaching and the demon’s heart melted when she saw the young girl going through the motions of the mummification brain removal technique with her pencil.

 

‘Children,’ she thought, ‘how precious.’

 

Walking up to the lounge, Charlie opened the door to the unimpressive sight of the simplistic room before her. The room consisted of a few couches, a table, a few shelves, a refrigerator and a microwave.

 

‘Oh well,’ the demon thought, ‘better than the classroom.’ She saw Nia and sat down next to her. “Hey.”

 

The girl turned to look at the demon and a smile grew across her face. “Amaya! I don’t know how you did it, but thank you!”

 

The demon was as confused as a caveman in a rocket science class. “Um, what are you talking about?”

 

“The stupid Buscema kid. I think his name was John?” Nia shook her head. “It doesn’t matter, that kid has been annoying know-it-all all year and you somehow managed to get him to be quiet.”

 

“Well, you know me,” the demon trailed off, “I’m full of surprises.”

 

Suddenly Nia eyes darted to the door and back. “Shit,” she said.

 

Before Charlie could ask, she heard a man’s voice behind her. “Well well well,” the voice said, “what have we here?”

 

“Fuck off Lockwood,” Nia said, “she doesn’t need to deal with your shit.”

 

“Oh come on,” Charlie turned around to see a big, square-jawed man with thick, black, well-groomed hair, “nothing wrong with trying.” He turned to face Charlie as she remembered his face from the binder (Ben Lockwood: high school history teacher, Amaya complained about him hitting on her but people give him a pass because he’s the football coach). “Heard you and pretty-boy broke up. What’cha say you and me go out for coffee sometime?” He leaned closer. “It’ll be my treat.”

 

Charlie chuckled for a moment. “Well,” she said with a stereotypical southern belle accent as she stood up, “that sounds like a mighty fine offer.” The demon then slowly pulled out her phone as she walked away. “Let me just see where I can get some.”

*texting*

(Charlie): Hey Z, what’s it called when someone is really annoying so you set a fire to get rid of them?

(Zari): I think it is called arson.

(Zari): CHARLIE DO NOT COMMIT ARSON YOU ARE AT A SCHOOL

(Charlie): 😉

(Zari): THAT DOES NOT HELP!

***

“Fuck,” she whispered to herself. The demon turned to face the source of annoyance and spoke in a voice that was void of any and all mirth. “Guess it is time for plan B.” She walked up to Ben and stared him down. “Listen mister golden boy. I don’t know why A-,” she caught herself, “why I put up with you, but that changes now.” She looked over and gazed at the clock. “In about five hours, when school is released, we will meet at the track and have ourselves a little competition.” She held up a finger. “One mile: you win, I give you the _BEST_ sex you will ever have in your life.”

 

The man, feeling rather full of himself, smiled and gave a sarcastic reply. “And what, pray tell, happens if _YOU_ win?”

 

The demon pondered this before turning to her friend. “Don’t suppose I can castrate him,” the demon said bluntly, “can I?” The girl slowly shook her head that said ‘no,’ with a slack-jawed expression that screamed ‘what the fuck are you doing.’ Charlie turned back, satisfied at the concerned look that covered every inch of Mr. Lockwood’s features. “Well,” the demon huffed, “I suppose I’ll settle for you agreeing to never flirt with me again and to leave the women here alone.”

 

“Now,” Mr. Lockwood spit out as he tried to regain control of the situation, “why would I agree to this? A gentleman does not make a lady look bad.”

 

“A gentleman. That must be what the boys call you.”

 

This seemed to piss him off. “Excuse me,” he said, “what the hell is that supposed to mean?”

 

“Oh please,” Charlie sat down next to her friend, “your salon-quality hair, that chiseled jawline? Is that for flirting, or did you go to an all-boys school and meet with the kids behind the bleachers when class was over?”

 

“You little-.”

 

“Excuse me,” a sharp voice went out and everyone turned to see Mr. Henshaw standing with his arms crossed. “Is there a problem here?”

 

“Not at all.” Charlie turned to face the aggravating mortal, “isn’t that right.” Ben grumbled as he walked out the door. “Remember: 3:30!” There was a loud slam of the door and people slowly went about their business. “Well,” the demon turned to Nia, “I have to get back to class. Talk later!”

 

Charlie got up and moved to the door. However, as she opened up the door, she heard Nia finally react to the situation. “What the hell just happened?!?”

 

Charlie smiled.

 

***(12:30 lunch time)

“Out of curiosity,” Brainy asked, “what exactly made you think that this was a good idea?”

 

Charlie rolled her eyes. The trio (and Dante) were all sitting on a round table in a very crowded dining hall. While the two demonic beings didn’t _need_ to eat, Charlie decided that they may as well take the time to see what it was that humans consume for sustenance (the fact that the demon ran out of whiskey, as Dante pointed out, may have also played a factor). However, when she found her (or at the very least: Amaya’s) friends they began to grill her about the events that occurred not two hours ago while Dante laughed, unheard by the common mortals.

 

“Listen,” she said, “I’ve put up with him long enough. I’m not about to let some man walk all over me.”

 

“You offered him se-,” Nia stopped as she realized where she was. She continued, this time whispering. “You offered him sex if you lose!”

 

“Aww,” Charlie sarcastically said, “I didn’t realize you were the jealous type.” When it became clear that Nia was not in a joking mood, she relented. “Fine then,” she said, “guess I’ll just not lose.”

 

“Amaya, listen.” The male mortal pulled out a piece of paper and a pen. “Now, your opponent, Ben Lockwood, is one of the most physically fit people I know. He claims that he ran a mile in about five minutes. Even with rounding up to six minutes, that’s a little over ten miles an hour.” He wrote down the figures as he talked. “Now the average top speed for a woman in her late twenties is about six miles an hour, or a ten minute mile.” Brainy paused for a second. “You,” he said as he pointed his pen at the demon, “have said on multiple occasions that you were terrible at running growing up. That means you may be slower than that. Unless you have a plan to get over five minutes off your mile time, you don’t stand a chance.”

 

“I have a plan.”

 

“Is it carb-loading?”

 

Charlie had no idea what brainy was saying. “Carb-loading?”

 

“Eating a lot before you run! Come on ‘Maya, you have eaten four plates of food in the ten minutes since you sat down.” The demon looked down to see that she had, in fact, finished four plates of meat. “How have you not thrown up yet?”

 

“I don’t-.”

 

“Excuse me, Miss Jiwae,” the group turned to see a bespectacled blonde woman standing behind Charlie, “is it true that you called out Ben Lockwood?”

 

For the first time she was stumped. Charlie had absolutely no idea who this woman was. Luckily, though, Nia and Brainy smiled and greeted her before Charlie embarrassed herself. “Kara!”

 

The blonde smiled at her friends. “Hey guys,” Kara gave each of them a hug before sitting down, “so it’s true?”

 

“Yeah,” Nia saw Charlie’s confusion. “This is the person we were telling you about last week, the high school english teacher.”

 

Kara held out her hand. “Kara Danvers,” the demon reached out and shook her hand, “pleased to meet you.”

 

“Alright,” Nia said, “introductions over. Now, can you help me explain to her why this is a bad idea!”

 

“Actually,” Kara said nervously, “I was actually hoping I could talk to her in private.” She looked at the demon sheepishly. “If it is okay with you, that is.”

 

“Fine by me,” the demon said as she picked up Dante in her arms, “I needed to start working on my running anyway.” Kara stood up as Nia blew a raspberry at the demon (which she reciprocated). The two then walked out of the dining hall and into the locker-covered hallway.

 

They walked in silence before the mortal decided to try and break the ice. “So,” she said awkwardly, “about Ben...I-.” She was cut off by The corgi’s barks and growls.

 

“Dante! No! Bad dog!” The hellhound looked at her before obeying his master’s command. “I’m sorry,” she said, “Dante isn’t usually like this.”

 

“Dante…” the mortal said, void of all emotion, “as in… _Dante’s Inferno_?”

 

“Yeah, why?”

 

“Oh, nothing,” the woman humorlessly chuckled, “it’s just….interesting.”

 

The awkward silence returned again but Charlie was having none of it. “What did you want to tell me about the asshole, exactly?”

 

“Listen,” Kara stopped in her tracks and put a hand on the demon’s shoulder, “I’ve been dealing with Ben since the moment I was hired, and some here have been dealing with it for much longer than that.” Kara paused, thinking about how best to voice her thoughts. “There is a reason Lockwood has been allowed to get away with his sexist behavior. Every time someone tries to speak out, the parents of kids on the football team beat them down until they give in.”

 

“But that’s bullshit,” the demon said, “why would they care?”

 

Kara started walking. “Football is the lifeline for some of these kids,” she explained, “it can get them scholarships, careers, providing their manliness. That makes Ben the most important person to them. They let him do whatever he wants. Hank has been trying his best, but it still happens.”

 

“All the more reason to win then.”

 

“And what if you lose!” The women stopped in front of what appeared to be Kara’s classroom. “If you race him and you win, well that’s great. But if you lose,” the mortal sighed, “you will be giving him exactly what he wants. The minute you do that, he will never stop.” Kara turned to unlock her door. “There is no shame in backing out of something you know you can’t win, if it is for the good of others.” She turned back to face the demon. “Talk to you later.” Kara shut the door, leaving the demon and her familiar alone.

 

_“Perhaps,”_ Dante said, _“it is wise to listen to the blonde. There is no reason for you to do this.”_

 

The demon took a deep breath and exhaled before replying. “Fuck that,” she said, “I’m going to kick this guy’s ass.”

 

The corgi did the closest thing to sighing that it could. _“Charlie, I know why you’re doing this and I get it. However,”_ the dog reminded her, _“we talked about this. You agreed: never make it personal.”_

 

Charlie set the dog down as she walked back to her classroom. “It’s not about revenge. It’s a public service. These women have been dealing with this creep for long enough.”

 

_“Oh really? And how exactly are you going to do that? While it pains me to say it_ , _”_ Dante said, _“the human male had a point. You are bound by the physical limits of your host. Using what little magical capability you have will instantly broadcast your demonic status and break the deal you made!”_ The hellhound paused. _“In your current state, there is no way you can beat this human.”_

 

“You’re right,” the demon admitted, “using magic to guarantee my victory is off the table.” She then took a pencil from her pocket and stabbed herself in the hand. She winced slightly from the pain, but continued pushing it in. When the tip came out of the other side, she pulled the wooden thing out. After using a water fountain to wipe off the stabbing instrument, the demon lifted up her hand. She looked closely to see the muscle fibers weaving themselves back together until the flesh was completely regrown. “But perhaps there is another way.”

 

***(3:30 PM)

 

Charlie and her two compatriots stood by the track as they watched Ben and a few of his goons walk up to them. Around the track stood a large group of teaches, men and women, who came to see the most exciting event that had occurred at school for the past three weeks. Charlie, having instructed Dante to fetch her some running clothes, was dressed in a light-weight, black shirt that read ‘run more than your mouth’, black gym shorts and sneakers. When asked why there were bits of glass in the shoe, Dante hesitated to answer (“ _you told me to get shoes,”_ he said, “ _you never said I had to pay for them”_ ). Ben, on the other hand, was wearing a simple red muscle shirt and gym shorts.

 

“Ah, Ben,” Charlie said with a smile, “I didn’t expect to see you here. I thought the bleachers would give you flashbacks.”

 

The mortal scoffed. “Let’s get this over with.”

 

“Very well,” the demon presented a small table that she had set up and motioned for him to sit down. When both parties did, Charlie pulled out a bottle of vodka and two shot glasses.

 

“The hell is this?”

 

Charlie giggled. “Once our deal has been made, we drink to solidify our agreement.” She set the two shot glasses down and poured as she spoke. “If I win, you agree to never flirt or harass any woman here again. If you even lay a hand on a woman-. I’d say you’d better start praying, but I know for a fact that it will not protect you.”

 

”And if I win,” he said, “you and I will get right into my car and you will give me the best sex I’ve ever had. And if it isn’t the best, you’ll just keep coming to my place until you get it right.”

 

“Very well then,” Charlie held out her hand, “do we have a deal?” The mortal shook her hand and proceeded to take one of the vodka shots. The demon took her’s and counted down from three. On “one” both drank the vodka (the male seemed genuinely surprised that the “human” before him didn’t even flinch as she drank it). “The compact is made,” she said as she stood up, “shall we begin?”

 

The two made their way over to the track where one of the PE teachers was standing with a running gun. They set themselves on the starting line as they waited for the signal.

 

“On your mark.”

 

“Get set.”

 

“Go!”

 

Two racers sprang to life as they began their race. While Ben initially enjoyed his perceived “lead” as he ran in the outer circle. However, this mirth was crushed as he reached the turn to find that she had gained on him. Thinking this a fluke, or the result of her sprinting, Ben decided to go for it and ran as fast as he could. After running out of breath he looked back, expecting to see his opponent left in his dust.

 

Instead, all he saw was her gaining on him.

 

Panicking, he tried to sprint again. This time, though, he couldn’t go as far. Once again he turned back, only to find his opponent right behind him. This continued for two laps: Ben Lockwood sprinting for short intervals (each time getting shorter and shorter), and Charlie always catching up to him just as he was resting. The crowd was amazed as they watched the man grow more weary as his opponent continued with unwavering perseverance. It was as though this girl had limitless amounts of stamina and energy. Soon, people were beginning to cheer for her, yelling “Come on Amaya, let’s go!”

 

These cheers exploded as the demon passed Ben in the third lap. Try as he might, the history teacher simply couldn’t muster up the energy to catch her. The race ended as the demon crossed the finish line while Lockwood still had half a lap to go. Nia led the mob who rushed the track. She tried to offer her friend water and snacks, but the demon declined. While this was odd enough to Nia, the fact that Charlie didn’t even seem fazed by the whole thing was… unnerving.

 

“I’m fine,” the demon said, “just need to clean up is all-.”

 

“What was it?” Charlie and the whole group turned to see Mr. Lockwood as he dragged himself across the finish line. “No one alive can naturally run like that.” No one spoke as he limped towards the victor. “You aren’t even out of breath! What is it: doping, drugs, steroids?”

 

Charlie laughed as she strolled right up to the raggedly breathing mortal. “All natural, sweetheart.” She turned back to the crowd. “Guess he had a bit of an endurance problem, wouldn’t you say so ladies?”

 

This elicited laughter from the crowd, which only served to piss off the mortal. “Then what are you?”

 

Charlie stared Lockwood directly in the eyes. “I,” she said, “am better than you.” She turned to walk away. “Remember the deal, these people are witnesses to it.”

 

The desperate human reached out and grabbed the demon’s arm. “Now you listen here-.” His words were cut off as Charlie broke the man’s arm in three satisfying cracks. What came next were screams as the mortal looked down to see his appendage sickeningly bent in four directions with bits of bone coming out of his flesh.

 

“You know,” Charlie said with a smirk, “I was kinda hoping you would do that.” Suddenly the whole crowd was screaming and trying to get away. It was pandemonium. It was chaos.

 

Until it all slowed down.

 

Charlie watched as people began moving as though the air were molasses. Their yelling became deeper and more drawn out. Yet, throughout all of this, Charlie continued to move normally. While most humans would likely scream or freak out upon seeing the world in a way that usually required a lethal dose of narcotics, the demon was not at all put off by it. In fact, she even smiled. She not only knew what this was, but also who it was.

 

“I must say,” she heard a deep voice behind her speak, “Amaya has a rather nice ring to it. Don’t you think, _Charlie_?”

 

The demon giggled. ‘Always the goody two-shoes.’ She turned to see Mr. Henshaw standing with a clean, black suit that would be worn by a politician or a CEO. However, what caught her attention was the pair of large, white wings behind him. “It’s better than a boring one like Hank.” She cocked an eyebrow at him. “Don’t you think, _J’onn_?”

 

The angel folded his wings back into himself as the siblings met each other in a warm hug. “It’s good to see you,” the angel said to his sister, “but did you have to break the mortal’s arm?”

 

“Eh, he had it coming.”

 

The angel shrugged. “Can’t argue with you on that one.” He started walking back to the school building before turning back. “Come to my office,” he said, “we have a lot to discuss.”

 

*** (3:45)

 

As J’onn poured the last of the whiskey, he handed one to his sister. “Cheers,” he said as the divine beings drank. When they were finished the two sat down. Charlie sat on a nice, leather chair, while her brother sat behind a desk. J’onn opened his mouth to speak, but Charlie cut him off.

 

“I know what you’re going to say,” she said bluntly, “but don’t bother.” Charlie sighed. “You’re my brother, and I will always love you for that. But,” she leaned in, “I will never forgive you.”

 

“I know,” the angel said, suddenly finding an urge to have another drink, “but it won’t stop me from trying.” J’onn took a sip as he stared dispassionately into the distance. “It’s funny, we’ve been alive for Mom-knows-how-long, but my biggest regret is still…” he trailed off.

 

“When you assholes sent me to hell?” Her brother looked at her before quickly turning away. “What?” She asked. “It happened, get over yourself. It’s not my fault you feel sad about it.” When the demon noticed her brother’s discomfort, she switched gears. “Listen,” Charlie said softly, “bringing up the past does none of us any good. Unless you want to berate me for the race, I guessing there is something else we need to discuss.”

 

“You’re right.” J’onn’s back straightened as he got back to work. “Nice thinking by the way: using your regeneration to bypass your host’s lactic acid buildup.”

 

“What can I say? I work with what I have.” Charlie paused. “Or at least...what I have left.”

 

“Now,” he said, “all kidding aside….what are you doing here?”

 

Charlie had prepared for this question, but still tried to play it off. “Whaaaaa? My dear brother, do you not trust me?”

 

“You know the rules,” the angel reminded her, “heaven and hell are to have minimal interaction with the mortal realm. The angels and demons residing on earth exist solely to maintain the balance.”

 

“Oh,” Charlie drew it out, “you mean how I busted myself out of hell.”

 

“Charlie, I need you to tell me. Is Hell planning to invade?”

 

There was a pause before the demon answered. “No,” she said, this time losing all sarcasm, “I was just summoned by a bunch of humans. I saw an opportunity to get out and I took it.” There was a long pause that made Charlie uneasy. What would he say? Would he get mad? Would he try to send her-. ‘No,’ she thought, ‘J’onn wouldn’t do that.’ Even if he tried, she wouldn’t go down without a fight.

 

“Well shit.”

 

Charlie took a second to process this. “Excuse me?”

 

J’onn could see the confusion on her face and was quick to dismiss it. “Oh, don’t get me wrong, I am happy that you’re not trying to invade.” He paused. “However, this makes things a little more complicated.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Because,” a female voice said, “you weren’t the only one.” Charlie turned to see Kara standing there with a determined look on her face. “It’s all good J’onn,” she said, “the asshole’s arm is healed and all memories of it are erased.”

 

“I’m sorry,” the demon said, “do I know you?” She turned back to her brother. “Is she like your secretary or something?”

 

This seemed to pull J’onn from his sullen mood and actually made him smile. “It’s alright,” he said, “you can take off the glasses.”

 

Charlie turned in time to watch Kara take off the glasses, and immediately felt the energy in the room change. Suddenly there was a presence in the room. A raw power that couldn’t be contained and leaked out into the air. ‘Kara,’ Charlie realized to herself, ‘I am such an idiot.’ Charlie stood up and gave her sister a hug. “Kara,” she said, “no wonder Dante hated you! You didn’t even change your name!” Charlie looked down at her glasses. “You gotta show me how to make those glasses.”

 

Kara chuckled as she held them up. “It’s a perception filter spell,” she explained, “you can focus on my appearance, but ignore everything else.” The angel reached into her pocket and pulled out a glass case and placed the magic item back in it. “Honestly, I’m amazed that you didn’t notice me. Guess it works on demons as well.”

 

Charlie smiled to herself. “Speaking of demons,” she said, “Lena Luthor has a message for you.”

 

Kara looked at her questioningly. “I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re-.” She was cut off by Charlie pulling her into a deep and passionate kiss. After three seconds, Kara pried herself away. Her face was red as a tomato as she turned to face J’onn. “I-I’m s-s-sorry,” she stuttered, “I don’t know why she-.”

 

J’onn chuckled knowingly. “Kara, please.” He pulled out another glass and filled it up. “You aren’t exactly subtle about your….excursions….to meet with the female half of the Luthor twins.” He offered Kara the glass which she gratefully accepted. “Believe me, if we disapproved then we would have put a stop to it a while ago.”

 

“DIFFERENT SUBJECT!” Kara blurted out, clearly eager to move on. She finished the glass in one swig and put it down. “Charlie,” she said as the red slowly leaked out of her face, “last Friday there was a dimensional breach in the city; I take it that was you?”

 

“Yeah, so?”

 

“Well,” she said matter-of-factly, “it seems like you didn’t close the door.”

 

“Yeah,” Charlie interjected, “no shit, I’m not exactly able to stay here in my own form for that long.” She held up her hands defensively. “I’m sorry that demons don’t have vessels lining up to accept us,” she tugged her necklace, “but we make do. Besides,” she scoffed, “earth isn’t a hellscape right now, so it must have closed.”

 

“Yes,” the angel admitted, “it would seem the second traveler closed the portal.”

 

“Then perfect,” Charlie exclaimed as she stood up, “nothing is wrong! I say we find them and bake them a fucking cake for helping out!”

 

Suddenly Kara seemed to get uncomfortable. “Normally we would be able to find them,” she started to trail off, “but it would seem they….”

 

J’onn stepped in. “They used _his_ magic.”

 

Suddenly the room became silent. The mere implication of the culprit was enough to earn the concern of both demon and angel. “There are a lot of HIMs in hell,” Charlie insisted, trying to hope that it wasn’t who she thought it was. “There is Lucifer, Beelzebub-.”

 

Kara reached out to comfort her sibling. “Charlie…”

 

“Azazel,” Charlie blurted out. She started chuckling in hopes that it would distract her from the reality of the situation. “Who knows what that fuck’s up to. Trying to take over the world,” She shrugged. “maybe?!?”

 

J’onn decided to step in. “Charlie it’s-.”

 

“Don’t-,” She stopped him, “don’t say his goddamn name.” She took a deep breath before continuing. “He’s gone...we made sure of that, didn’t we?”

 

For once, Kara had good news to share. “Don’t worry, he’s still imprisoned. From what we can gather, it may be one of his acolytes.”

 

Charlie started to calm down. “What do you want with me then?”

 

The angel looked to J’onn for permission to continue. When he nodded, Kara spoke. “As someone who has clearly abandoned Hell, you can help us dispose of this threat.” She kneeled down and held her sister’s hand. “Please Charlie,” she begged, “help us get rid of this monster once and for all.”

 

The demon closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths before opening her eyes again. “It would be my pleasure.”

 

***(5:30)

 

Charlie was flipping through the channel guide when she heard the door unlock and open. The demon turned to see her mortal roommate walk through. “I thought you would be knee-deep in beer right about now,” she said as she carried large brown bags of food into the kitchen. “I didn’t see any schools on fire on the news,” the mortal pointed out, “thank you for that. How was your first day among us lowly mortals?”

 

Charlie opened her mouth to speak, but stopped herself. ‘She’ll just get in the way,’ she thought.

 

“It was fine,” the demon lied, “not interesting at all.”

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Data for running came from https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness-exercise/average-running-speed
> 
> If you don’t know what an imam is...look it up.
> 
> Also: sorry for the *texting* bit. I had a fake iMessage thing, but it wouldn’t go through.


	5. The warlock

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zari and Charlie finally meet Anna; Ray’s new girlfriend. However, things go wrong and Zari has to save Charlie from an old friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah, a lot of you can guess by the title what will go down. This honestly isn’t my favorite chapter, but I needed to introduce some characters before next chapter (which will be much shorter).
> 
> I hope you enjoy the chapter and please feel free to leave kudos/comments/constructive criticism.
> 
> I don’t own Legends of Tomorrow, but if I did, Lenard wouldn’t have died.

Wednesday 4:30 PM

 

Zari was working in her office when the door suddenly opened up to reveal her new roommate, clad in leather pants and a skintight black T-shirt. At first the mortal could only gawk in surprise because; A: she shouldn’t be here, and B: a small part of her couldn’t help but stare at the sexed-up version of her former crush. The demon proceeded to saunter up to her desk before sitting down on a chair opposite her. She even put her leather boots in her desk for good measure. 

 

Charlie turned to Zari and winked. “Hey.”

 

The mortal managed to snap herself out of her confusion. “Charlie,” she whispered, “the hell are you doing here?”

 

“Well,” the demon replied nonchalantly, “Ray called and-.”

 

“I don’t care about that!” Zari looked out to make sure no one saw her. “ _ How _ did you get in?!? I can’t even get in without my clearance badge.”

 

Charlie bit her lip excitedly, “let’s just say that Sarah from security is no longer into men.”

 

Zari rolled her eyes. Of course the demon seduced her way in, how could she not see it coming? “Fine, what were you saying about Ray?”

 

This brought the demon back to reality. “Right,” she said, “Ray called to make sure that we were going to the Waverider tonight. Apparently he has a new squeeze that he wants us to meet.” She looked at Zari in a way that resembled puppy-dog eyes. “Can we go?”

 

The mortal sighed. ‘Why not,’ she thought, ‘Charlie has been getting at least somewhat better.’ Zari grimaced to herself as she continued to think. ‘Besides, taking her to the bar will at least spare me the flirting.’ She brought her fingers to the bridge of her nose before replying. “Fine,” she relented, “but you have to promise to be good.”

 

Charlie stared her dead in the eyes. “Good is relative.”

 

“ _ Behave _ .”

 

The demon rolled her eyes as she relented. “Fine,” Charlie stood up, “I’m leaving anyway.”

 

She got to the door before Zari stopped her. “And stop fucking security!” She could feel the demon’s smirk even though she wasn’t even facing her.

 

*** (7:30 PM)

 

_ Birds flying high _ _   
_ _ You know how I feel _

 

The legends gang (minus Ray and Anna who hadn’t arrived yet) was sitting at a large booth in the Waverider bar, transfixed by the singing on stage. Sara had lined up the piano and Charlie (having been rendered sufficiently intoxicated) decided to perform. Once again, she managed to play the piano perfectly and Zari began to wonder if she should have been a music teacher instead of a history teacher.

 

_ Sun in the sky _ _   
_ _ You know how I feel _ _   
_ _ Reeds driftin' on by _ _   
_ _ You know how I feel _ _   
_ _ It's a new dawn _ _   
_ _ It's a new day _ _   
_ _ It's a new life _ _   
_ __ For me

 

For a brief moment, the demon stopped playing. She took a deep breath and looked over at Zari.

 

_ And I'm feeling good _ _   
_ _ I'm feeling good _ _   
_ _ Fish in the sea _ _   
_ _ You know how I feel _ _   
_ _ River running free _ _   
_ _ You know how I feel _ _   
_ _ Blossom on the tree _ _   
_ _ You know how I feel _ _   
_ _ It's a new dawn _ _   
_ _ It's a new day _ _   
_ _ It's a new life _ _   
_ _ For me _ _   
_ _ And I'm feeling good _ __   
  


“Well,” Zari heard a female voice say, “she is really good.” The whole group turned to see Ray and a slightly shorter woman with raven colored hair. The woman offered a hand to Zari. “Hi, I’m Anna,” she said, “you must be…..Zari?” 

 

“Yeah,” Zari returned the handshake, “it’s nice to meet you.” She motioned to the stage and the person singing  _ Feeling Good _ by Nina Simone. “The person singing,” she sighed, “is Amaya.” The lying was starting to get to her, but the mortal put on a straight face. “So Ray,” she suggested, “why don’t you take Mick and go get us something to drink. The girls need to chat.”

 

Ray and Mick complied as Anna sat down. She looked between the Sara, Ava, and Zari before speaking. “I’m sensing that you are the over-protective mom squad for Ray.”

 

Sara shrugged; “you would assume correctly.” She took a sip of her drink before continuing. “So, what do you think of Ray?”

 

“Honestly,” Anna chuckled, “I don’t think I’ve ever dated someone like Ray in my entire life. He’s nice, he’s honest…” Anna paused and looked off in the distance, “he’s good.” Suddenly she started laughing humorlessly.

 

The three female legends looked first at the girl before them, then at each other before Ava decided to ask; “is that a bad thing?”

 

The raven-haired girl smiled. “No, not at all.” She seemed to form the shadow of a smile. “It’s just...I’ve met a lot of terrible people in my life, and because of that I’m used to categorizing people as either ‘bad’ or ‘not as bad.’ But Ray?” Anna licked her lips. “I think he’s the first person who I think is truly good.”

 

There was a silence before Zari raised her drink. “Well said.”

 

“Who are you?”

 

Zari turned to see her new roommate looking at the new girl with murder in her eyes. “Amaya,” Sara said nervously, “this is Anna: Ray’s new girlfriend.” The bar owner looked at Zari as though she were trying to telepathically ask her what the hell was going on with their friend. 

 

There was a short pause before the demon continued. “Bullshit,” she took a sip from her drink, “what the hell are you?”

 

It was at this time Zari decided to step in. “Okay guys, I think Amaya’s had a bit too much to drink.” She grabbed the demon’s hand as she dragged her out. “Seeya next time guys!”

 

There was a long pause before Ray and Mick came back: beer in tow. “Okay guys I got beers for Ava, Mick, myself and Amaya, and got waters for everyone else.” He looked around before acknowledging the powder keg of awkwardness. “Did something happen?”

 

***

Zari dragged the demon outside and as soon as the door shut behind her, threw Charlie with all her might. She didn’t roll far, but it served well to work off some of the mortal’s stress. 

 

The demon groaned as she got to her feet. “Z, I-.”

 

Zari walked over and slapped her in the face. “What the FUCK was that?” Much to her surprise, the slap actually seemed to do some damage and the demon turned in the direction of the impact. “Are you TRYING to be an unbearable asshole or is that just natural? Because at this point I can’t really tell.”

 

Charlie whirled back, her appearance affected by her anger. Black veins seemed to radiate from her now-demonic, red and black eyes. She growled in a way that sounded like a tiger before taking a deep breath. Upon exhaling, the darkness was pulled back into her eyes and she seemed to go back to normal. “I,” she said almost like a warning, “will allow that one.” She massaged the place where she was slapped as she continued. “Sometimes I forget mortals lack the cosmic awareness of my kind.”

 

The mortal scoffed. “Well fuck you too!”

 

“Moron,” Charlie grumbled, “I’m trying to help you guys!” She pointed at the bar. “That girl is not who she says she is. She’s dangerous.”

 

“Oh,” she said sarcastically, “like the hellhound that was in my apartment that ended up being YOUR FUCKING DOG?” She held out her arms questioningly. “Is is THAT kind of goddamn dangerous?” Zari shook her head. “Speaking of which, where the hell has he been?” 

 

Charlie crossed her arms. “Hellhounds do what they want, when they want.” The demon sighed, deciding on a different tactic. “Listen,” she said softly, “do you know how old I am?”

 

“I don’t care how old you-.”

 

“I,” Charlie emphasized, “am thirteen billion years old by your  _ human  _ measurements. I was beyond ancient when your precursors pulled themselves from the muck, and do you know what I have learned in that time?” The demon paused before answering. “I have learned to ALWAYS trust your gut. And my gut says that the girl that your friend is dating, is NOT normal. I don’t know who or what she is but-.”

 

“Save it,” Zari held her hand to Charlie’s face and did the ‘shut up’ motion, “I don’t care. You have been nothing but an asshole since you arrived.” She pulled out her car keys. “I’m taking you home. Maybe you’ll sober up.”

 

“Z,” Charlie chuckled humorlessly, “demon’s don’t get drunk unless we want to. I can drive.”

 

“No,” Zari turned away from the demon started walking to her car, “you want to act like a child? You will be treated like a child.”

 

Zari heard nothing for a bit, then a few steps before Charlie spoke. “What the hell?”

 

The mortal turned back to see the demon a few feet from where she was standing, pressing her hands against the empty air. “Come on,” Zari said, annoyed by her roommate, “stop fucking around.”

 

Her roommate looked at her, almost nervous. “This-,” she looked around, “this isn’t me.” She looked at the ground curiously before bending down and feeling the pavement. Suddenly she looked up. “Oh shit,” she said, fear clearly in her voice, “a devil trap.” The demon focused on Zari. “Zari, get me out of here. We need to get away NOW.”

 

Suddenly, a voice behind the mortal spoke. “Don’t worry Z,” the man had a thick British accent, “I’ll take care of this.”

 

The mortal turned around to see…. “John?”

 

The Brit chuckled a bit before returning to seriousness. “Good to see you too,” the warlock motioned to the restrained demon, “I’m sorry you had to see this, but don’t worry; I’ll get rid of the demon for you. Consider it a favor for a friend.”

 

“Wait, I-.” Constantine put his hand on her forehead. “ _ Vermina. _ ” Instantly Zari began feeling woozy until she passed into unconsciousness.

 

***

“Hey, Zari,” the mortal felt herself being lightly shoved as she regained consciousness, “are you okay?” 

 

Zari groggily opened her eyes to see Anna leaning over her. “Anna,” the mortal said, immediately awake, “thank god! Have you seen Ch-,” she managed to stop herself, “have you seen Amaya?” 

 

Luckily, she didn’t seem to notice. Instead, Anna just shook her head. “No, I came out to check on you guys and I saw you on the ground and,” she motioned to the side, “this little one trying to wake you up.” Zari turned to her side to see Dante sitting by her head. “Z,” the girl said with concern in her voice, “did something happen to Amaya?”

 

Zari tried to stand up. “I need to get to my-.” Suddenly exhaustion overwhelmed her and she fell to the ground. ‘Damn,’ she thought, ‘John must have done something to me.’

 

Anna was able to get Zari before she hit the ground. “Listen,” the girl said frankly, “I know you want to help her, but if you just passed out then you are in no shape to drive.” She pulled out her keys and presented them to Zari. “I haven’t had any alcohol tonight, I can drive.”

 

Zari relented. “Fine, but there is something I need to do first.” She let go of Anna and slowly limped over to Dante. “Listen,” she whispered to the hellhound, “I’m willing to bet good money that you are a lot smarter than the average dog. Hell,” the mortal said, “you can probably understand what I am saying can’t you? Nod for yes, shake your head for no.”

 

Dante nodded. ‘Thank god,’ Zari thought.

 

“Do you know where she is?” Dante shook his head. ‘Damn.’

 

“Can you at least track her?” Dante nodded. ‘Awesome.’ Zari picked up Dante. “I think I know how we can find her.”

 

Anna seemed confused. “How?”

 

“With this,” Zari held out Dante, “he’s like a bloodhound, so he can track her.”

 

“That is absolutely insane.”

 

“Well, it’s all we got.” She worked her way over to Anna. “Let’s go.” The two got in the car and proceeded to spend the next five minutes in silence as they followed the nose of their canine companion. While this was going on, Zari reflected not only on whether she COULD help the demon when the time came, but also whether or not this whole thing was worth the effort.

 

This was cut off when Anna spoke. “I get it by the way.”

 

Zari turned and looked at her questioningly. “What?”

 

“Amaya,” she paused before continuing, “I understand her concern.”

 

“Oh. No, Amaya-.”

 

“Was just looking out for her friend.” She chuckled briefly. “I looked Ray up after our first date. Do you know how many major technological projects he is a part of at his company? Almost all of them.” 

 

“Yeah,” Zari said fondly, “he loves his work. Your point is?”

 

“My point,” Anna saw Dante’s head turn to the right so she quickly turned the car in that direction, “is that in the world of corporate espionage, he’s prime material.” The raven haired girl paused to consider her words. “You have to admit, even though his kindness and generosity are some of his best traits, that Ray Palmer is a bit…”

 

“Naive.” Zari nodded slowly, understanding her message.

 

“Exactly,” Anna said sadly, “I just wanted you to know that I understood your friend’s distrust. I’m a new face, you know nothing about me, and I’m suddenly in a relationship with him very quickly. However,” she took the time at a red light to turn and look at Zari, “I know that with enough time, I can make your friend trust me.”

 

Zari sighed, it was frustrating to hear such a heartfelt and genuine speech and not be able to tell her what is going on. This girl took the demon’s mistrust and used it as a way to better herself. If she hadn’t been convinced that Anna was worthy to be Ray’s girlfriend, then she was now. “I’ll talk to her,” she said, “and I’ll make sure to include what you said.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

The ladies continued driving until they were in front of a small cabin by the creek. The route had taken them on dirt roads and led them into the dense forest. The cabin itself seemed completely ordinary, but Zari was unconvinced. If John was half the warlock he said he was (a fact that she was now starting to believe), then his house had to be covered in magical traps. 

 

“Hey, Z,” Anna said, “it looks pretty dangerous in there, maybe we should call the police.”

 

“No,” Zari replied quickly, “don’t call the police.” It was for the best that they didn’t come. Explaining the situation alone would be way too much hassle, and explaining the demonic aspect was out of the question.

 

“Zari, this cabin looks like the place where teenagers get stabbed. If the person who kidnapped your friend brought her here, this could get bad. At least let me help you.”

 

‘Out of the question,’ Zari thought. It was one thing to let cops in on this: but friends? Absolutely not. “She wasn’t abducted,” she said, “Amaya just went with an old friend.”

 

This seemed to confuse the other girl. “Wait, you KNOW who lives in this murder den?”

 

For once, Zari had an honest answer. “Yeah,” she admitted, “his name is John Constantine. He’s a little weird, but he hangs out with us from time to time. She probably came over for some advice or an old book. He’s got a lot of those.” At this time Zari was piecing together that the books he had were most likely spellbooks. ‘So that’s why he freaked out when I tried to read from the book that had a face on it,’ she thought to herself as she remembered last Halloween.

 

“Really,” Anna asked sarcastically.

 

Zari opened the door and got out with Dante. “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine! I can catch a ride with John tomorrow so you don’t need to drive me back.” With that, Anna reluctantly drove away. Turning back to face the cabin, Zari looked at the corgi in her arms. “Welp, here goes nothing.” Slowly, she walked up to the door…

 

And opened it.

***

As duo walked through the door, she seemed to be instantly transported to what seemed to be the top of a flight of stairs. This was odd for two reasons:

 

  1. She had not seen any stairs when she had first opened the door.
  2. The walls appeared to be stone, instead of wood like the cabin seemed to be from the outside.
  3. Zari could hear two voices coming from downstairs; one male speaking gibberish, the other was a female that was groaning.



 

From this, Zari came to the conclusion that she was in the cabin’s basement. Additionally, this was where he was keeping Charlie. Slowly, she moved down the torch-lit stairs, listening to the two voices.

 

“I’ll ask again you demonic bastard,” John said angrily, “what is he planning?”

 

Charlie groaned. “I told you, asshole! I don’t work for that prick anymore!”

 

“Bullshit.” John recited a spell and Zari heard Charlie scream. “Last Friday there was a demonic breach that was leaking with  _ his _ magic, and you are the only demon in the area.” 

 

“Demons. Don’t.  _ Lie! _ I’m telling you! There was another!” 

 

At this point, Zari felt like she was getting closer, and the voices started getting louder. “You know,” John said, “it’s bad enough you come to THIS shithole of a town, but you made it personal. You possessed one of my friends! Amaya was a good person and you are a perversion to her memory. Furthermore, you decided to trick Zari into being your housekeeper. For that,” Zari heard John’s footsteps, “I will send you back to the deepest depths of Hell, where you will never come back!”

 

Upon hearing this, Dante sprang to life. He leaped out of Zari’s arms and down to the final few flights of stairs. Luckily, the mortal had made it to the bottom so she could peek out and see what transpired. She watched as Dante ran at the chanting warlock, its form slowly unfolding until it was the size of a horse. As it got closer John turned around and only got time to say one line before he was knocked away.

 

“Oh, bullocks.”

 

The force threw the warlock into the opposing wall. However, this didn’t seem to phase John all that much as he quickly recovered. “You brought a hellhound to Earth?” The warlock managed to get to his knees before laughing. “‘Leave her alone,’ how noble. You may be the first hellhound I’ve met that actually likes demons.” Zari was confused, did he just talk to the hellhound? “Regardless,” John said, “you may want to look down.” Dante looked at his feet; he was standing with Charlie in a large, intricately-drawn circular symbol. Zari heard a whine as he fell to the ground beside Charlie, who was restrained in a manner similar to Hannibal Lector. The warlock lit a cigarette. “Now, let’s send you two assholes home.” He then restarted the chanting he was doing before.

 

In this moment, Zari was conflicted. A part of her wanted to help the demon escape. However, a more convincing part had different advice; ‘let her rot.’ After all, this demon came into her apartment like she owned the place and since then had been nothing but an asshole to everyone she encountered. Furthermore, she was a FUCKING DEMON she not only belonged in Hell, she earned her spot. Comfortable with her decision, Zari prepared to walk back up the stairs, when she heard a voice.

 

“It’s okay Dante,” Charlie said softly to the hellhound, “I’ve got you. Don’t worry, we can try again. We can make it, trust me. We’ll be okay…..”

 

“I’ve got you.”

 

***  _ (9 years ago) _

_ Zari was pacing the room as Amaya typed furiously on her desktop computer. “No no no,” Zari said to herself, “this can’t be happening.” _

 

_ “I’m sorry, Z,” Amaya turned to face her, “looks like the blackout forced the computer to restart. So all of our data is-.” _

 

_ “GONE,” Zari yelled, “IT’S FUCKING GONE!”  _

 

_ Amaya stood up and attempted to calm the girl down. “Look, we can fix this. It’s going to be okay.” _

 

_ “Okay? OKAY? This is our final project and it is gone!” Zari’s breath began to get more heavy and ragged as she grew more frantic. “If we don’t do this, then I fail. If I fail, I get kicked out. If I get kicked out, then I go back to my...my…” Zari wobbled as she fell forward, “parents…” _

 

_ Luckily Amaya caught her and was able to get her in a chair. “Z, are you alright? What is going on? Talk to me.” _

 

_ Through gasps and stutters, the raven-haired girl managed to speak. “M-my heart….f-feels like it’s gonna ex-explode. I c-can’t b-b-breathe. A-am I d-dying? Is this dying?” _

 

_ The other girl reached out and grabbed Zari’s hand. “No, Z,” she said softly, “you’re not dying. I think you’re having a panic attack.” _

 

_ Zari shook her head. “No, I d-don’t have panic-.” _

 

_ “It’s okay,” Amaya said as she softly held her hand, “just breathe with me.” When the girl began to hyperventilate, Amaya took the hand she was holding and placed it in the middle of Zari’s chest, while placing Zari’s other hand on her chest. “Follow my breathing and I’ll guide you through this.” Immediately, Zari felt a gentle warmth radiating from her and allowing Zari to slow down. “Don’t worry, Z, I’ve got you.” _

 

_ “I’ve got you.” _

*** (today)

 

‘I’ve got you.’ She just had to say those goddamn words didn’t she. The words that brought back memories of the one who owned her heart. Zari tried to walk away, but it was as though her feet were trapped in cement. 

 

‘What would Amaya do?’

 

Zari looked out to see Charlie scream as dark cracks moved up her body. ‘Amaya would help everyone,’ she thought, ‘even those she hadn’t met before.’ The mortal turned back, but her brain wouldn’t stop. ‘After all,’ it pointed out, ‘that’s the reason you fell in love with her, isn’t it?’ Zari leaned back against the small, stone wall that stood between her and the exorcism. The mortal sadly sighed as she made a decision.

 

“God damn it conscience.” Suddenly, she stood up and stepped out to face the situation before her. “John,” she got the warlock’s attention, “let her go.”

 

Constantine turned to face her, his eyes dimming from glowing orange back to their normal color. “Zari.” He looked genuinely surprised to see her. “What are you doing here?” He pointed back at the staircase. “You need to go! Let me handle this!”

 

While the girl was tempted to leave, she continued to hold her ground. “As tempting as that would be,” she looked at the demon briefly (smiling when she seemed to take offense to the comment) before turning her gaze back to her friend, “I’m not gonna let you hurt my roommate.”

 

“Dammit Z….” John shook his head as he walked over to Zari, “this isn’t a matter for debate. She,” the warlock pointed at Charlie, “is a demon! She EXISTS to feed on the darkness of mankind and damn us to eternal-.”

 

Zari cut him off. “I KNOW!” This seemed to bring a look of pure shock to his face. Did he seriously not think she knew? “I’ve known from the moment she arrived here.”

 

The warlock got closer and seemed to study her facial features. “Not even hypnotized,” he whispered to himself. John shook his head again. “Zari, you don’t get it. That thing is manipulating you. The only reason it even pretends to give a shit about what you think is because it’s waiting for a chance to take your soul or summon her boss.”

 

“She doesn’t WANT to do any of that!”

 

“And how would you know?”

 

“BECAUSE I ALREADY MADE THE DEAL!”

 

There was a long pause before John spoke. “What did you just say?”

 

“I,” Zari made an audible ‘gulp’, “I already made a deal with her.”

 

“God damn it Z!” Constantine turned back and started performing the ritual again.

 

Zari put a hand on her shoulder to stop him. “Wait, it’s not what you think.”

 

“Why? What did that  _ thing _ offer you? Money?” he sneered, “power? Sex? Was your soul worth it?”

 

“I didn’t give her anything. She just…” Zari looked over at the demon who was hanging her head in either shame or embarrassment, “she just wants to go home. All I’m doing is giving her a chance to prove herself.”

 

“And how has that been going? Binge drinking? Violence? Vice and debauchery?”

 

Zari shrugged. “I will admit, she hasn’t been perfect. But she seems to trying. She’s working as a school teacher and I think she’s actually enjoying it. She brought people into Sara’s bar by performing. Hell, one of her coworkers called to thank her for dealing with some misogynistic asshole. All of that was done in less than a week.” She bit her lip as she locked eyes with the warlock. “So yeah, I think she’s okay.”

 

Constantine sighed and leaned in so he could whisper in Zari’s ear. “Look, love, the only way that demon is able to be in her body is if she’s, you know,  _ gone _ . Dead is dead, and helping her won’t bring Amaya back.” He paused to let it sink in. “Are you sure this is what you want to do?”

 

Zari could feel the tears well up in her eyes and fought hard to keep herself from breaking down. “John,” she shakily replied, “I have to try. Even if it’s a long shot, I have to bring her back. And besides,” she breathed in through her nose to keep from crying, “I can’t send Amaya to hell. I don’t care who is in there, I will  _ always _ see her. I couldn’t live myself if I did.” John’s eyes briefly widened with something that Zari could have sworn was surprise before he turned away from her. For a few seconds he looked as though he were debating with himself about something before he pulled out a knife and headed for the demonic duo. Zari reached her hand out to stop him, but pulled back when he stopped short and stabbed the ground. Instantly, there was the flash of a symbol being broken. He then went to work undoing the demon’s restraints as the hellhound leapt back into Zari’s arms (but not before turning back into a corgi, something Zari was thankful for). He licked the mortal’s face a few times before hopping back down, settling at her feet.

 

After the demon’s last restraint was undone, she burst out of the chair and wrapped her roommate in a tight embrace. “Zari,” Charlie heaved as she held the mortal close, “thank you so much.” The demon pulled away and placed one hand on the mortal’s shoulder. “I owe you a debt of gratitude.”

 

Zari was surprised by how genuine the demon sounded. “N-no problem,” the mortal said, the voice portraying her confusion, “I was just holding up my end of the bargain.” 

 

“Knock it off you two,” the pair turned to see John standing there with his arms crossed. He spoke a few Latin-sounding words and a golden circle opened up in the middle of the air. Inside the ring formed the image of the parking lot where they were before Charlie was captured. “This,” John spoke as he presented the ring, “will take you back to the parking lot where your car will be waiting for you.” He offered his hand to Zari as he continued. “Z, would you be so kind as to go through? The demon and I need to chat.”

 

Zari scoffed. “Yeah right, Doctor Strange. I’m not leaving her here to be exorcised again.”

 

Constantine nodded slowly. “Zari, you have my word. I just wish to say a few words to her before she leaves.” The girl looked to Charlie, but after the demon reassured her, she took the warlock’s hand. “One more thing,” John reached into his pockets and procured a pen and a pad of paper. After scribbling something down he handed it to her. “This is my phone number. Call me in case you encounter some…” he subtlety looked at Charlie before returning his gaze back to her, “mystical trouble.”

 

Zari took the piece of paper and put it in her wallet. “Thank you,” she said before turning to Charlie, “I’ll see you in a bit.”

 

*** (Charlie POV)

The girl stepped through the portal and John turned to face the demon and her dog. “So  _ Charlie _ ,” he attempted to step closer, but was stopped by the sound of Dante’s growl, “I didn’t know you were back on Earth.”

 

The demon bit her lip and shook her head. “She just HAD to say my fucking name, didn’t she?”

 

Constantine pulled put a cigarette. “Honestly, love,” the warlock lit the tobacco and took a puff of it before continuing, “it’s what saved your life. Every warlock worth his salt knows the story of  _ The Grounded One _ .”

 

The demon winced at the mention of her title. Even though the events that had granted her that name had long since passed, Charlie could still remember the pain associated with it. “Do NOT call me that.”

 

_ “Mind your tongue, human,” _ Dante said to the warlock,  _ “I will not allow anyone to insult my master in my presence.” _

 

The mortal sarcastically held up his hands in surrender. “Alright, both of you, I’m sorry.” With his left hand he motioned to the demon and said, “I’m sorry for almost sending you to Hell,” he then used his right hand to motion to Dante, “and I am sorry for “insulting” your master.”

 

There was a few seconds of silence before Charlie spoke. “Very well then,” she turned to her dog, “Dante, let’s g-.”

 

“Not so fast,” Constantine said firmly, “there is still a matter we need to take care of.” The warlock took the cigarette out of his mouth and held it in his right index and middle fingers. “Just because I know you aren’t working for him, doesn’t mean I trust you. You are a demon living with one of the few friends I have in this world. If you so much as step a toe out of line, there will be consequences.” He then walked right up to Charlie, completely ignoring the hellhound’s growls, until he was mere inches away from her. “And god help me,” he spoke in a soft voice that still carried with it the strength of before, “if you hurt her, or my friends, in ANY way…,” John snapped his fingers and the inside of the portal changed from a parking lot to a burning hellscape, “I don’t care what deal you made, I will send you to the deepest parts of hell.” He snapped his fingers again and the parking lot returned. 

 

“Now go,” he said, turning back and walking to the stairs, “before I change my mind.”

 

***(Zari POV)

The mortal waited a good ten minutes before seeing her roommate walk through the Doctor Strange-looking portal. Silently, the two (and dog) went to her car and she proceeded to drive them home. On the way, Zari decided to try and break the ice. “So,” she said awkwardly, “what did John say?”

 

Charlie stared ahead blankly as she replied. “Oh, you know… he gave me the whole “if you hurt anyone or do anything bad while you’re here, I will make sure to return you to the pit you came from” route. The same kind of crap you said to me.”

 

There was a long pause before Zari asked shakily; “Would you?”

 

“What?”

 

Zari spoke again, this time with more confidence. “If I wasn’t holding you back, would you hurt people?”

 

This question seemed to bewilder Charlie, and for once it was as though the demon could not think of something to say. “I….I don’t….I guess...I…” As the demon sputtered out one or two word replies, Zari began asking herself whether or not this indecision on the question was a good thing. 

 

Finally, after a full minute of stuttering and thinking, the demon answered. “I’m….not really sure I would, honestly.” Even though she was focusing on the road, the confusion must have been visible enough for the demon to notice it. “Yeah,” she chuckled humorlessly, “I know how it sounds, and I get it. A lot of my siblings hate humanity with a passion and take every opportunity to hurt them. But when it comes down to it, I guess I’ve never really liked hurting people without reason.”

 

“What about Lockwood,” Zari tested the waters, “was there a reason for humiliating him?”

 

The demon seemed to click her tongue before answering. “Amaya told you about him, right? The way he treated those women like they were nothing but slabs of meat… I just thought he needed to be taught a lesson.”

 

Once again, this demon managed to surprise Zari. She had assumed that the demon had done it solely to screw with the guy, but instead she had done it for the others who worked with her. “So…you only hurt those who hurt others?” Saying it out loud actually made sense to her. The first day they met, Charlie bragged about torturing a rapist. If she really did feel that way, then maybe she deserved a little more credit.

 

“I don’t like assholes,” she said frankly, “so yeah. And if someone comes after me or Dante, I’ll kick their ass too.” 

 

As they pulled onto their street, Zari decided to ask one more question. “Is that why you got pissed at Anna tonight?” When the demon didn’t answer, the mortal turned to see her staring out the passenger window. “Charlie,” this pulled her back to earth, “did you hear me.”

 

The demon shook her head. “Sorry, I just got lost in thought there for a second. What did you say?”

 

“I aske-. Hold on.” Zari stopped conversing when they reached their destination. She turned into the “neighborhood” of small apartments and drove until she found her parking spot. After gliding her car into the space, Zari set the car in park in front of their humble abode. “Sorry, I asked if your “fight-or-flight” thing is why you went off on Anna.” She turned to face the demon. “Was it?”

 

The demon sat there nervously. “I just,” she paused for a second, fidgeting with Dante’s collar before answering, “kinda, yeah.” Charlie sighed as she turned to Zari. “It’s just….I thought that Anna was….” She shook her head in frustration. “You’re gonna laugh at me for saying this, but I thought she was one of my siblings.”

 

‘Wow,’ Zari thought, ‘that’s intense.’ Unsure of how to deal with that, Zari decided to humor her. “Okay,” she said calmly, “would you be so kind as to tell me WHY you thought that?”

 

For the next couple of seconds, Charlie just stared at Zari. While the situation was awkward, the mortal did not feel as though it was an “angry” stare. Rather, this felt more like the demon was studying her as though she held the answer to an unspoken debate. Finally, having seemingly come to a decision, Charlie answered. “Z,” she said while rubbing the back of her neck, “I’m a demon on earth. I’m in unfamiliar territory. I guess the arrival of a new face that neither you nor I had met before made me a bit paranoid. I’m….sorry for that.”

 

Satisfied with the answer, Zari unlocked the car. “No worries,” she said as she opened up the car door, “I think she actually took it quite well. She even drove me to help get you back from Constantine.” The roommates got out of the car and walked to their apartment. “Just….make sure it doesn’t happen again, okay?”

 

“Okay.”

 

***Friday 7:00 PM (Charlie POV)

 

Charlie stood outside the cabin in her typical leather-and-T-shirt outfit and knocked on the door. She had been teleported last time, but after bribing Dante with a tummy-rub (which Charlie found to be ridiculous, but had done anyway) he agreed to guide her to where she wanted to go. This is not to say that it was easy, in fact it was far from it. The moment the demon entered the property lines, she had to pull over due to the extreme nausea from the wards that had been put up. After throwing up until she saw blood, suffering from extreme boils, and feeling as though nails were being hammered in all over her body, Charlie reached the cabin and was starting to question whether or not it was worth coming.

 

After knocking a few more times, John Constantine cracked open the door slightly. “Oi, stop knocking the bloody-,” he paused upon seeing who it was, and then opened the door completely, “what the hell are you doing here?”

 

Charlie shrugged. “We need to talk.” This caused the warlock to look dumbfounded, she could tell he hadn’t expected her to show back up again. The demon then held up a plastic bag. “I brought beer as a peace offering.”

 

After giving her the stink-eye, the warlock allowed her in. He guided her through the surprisingly-large cabin until the two came to a stop at a small living area that had a couch, two recliners and a TV. The demon gave the warlock a beer and the two sat down as they began to talk. “So,” he said curtly as he cracked open the drink, “what do you want?”

 

Sensing the hostility, Charlie tried to diffuse the situation with a bit of small-talk. “Nice warding you have out there,” she said, “really made me happy for regeneration.”

 

“Thank you,” John said, clearly satisfied by hearing that he inconvenienced the demon, “just a couple of spells I whipped up.” 

 

“Smart move,” Charlie said as she took a sip, ““You put them up because of me?”

 

John shook his head. “Nah, I’ve had those up since I found this place.” He raised an eyebrow at her. “I do have more than ONE demon to worry about, after all.”

 

‘So she drove through them too,’ she thought to herself, ‘damn it.’ The demon licked her lips before replying to the warlock. “John, I’m here because I need your help.”

 

Suddenly the warlock started laughing. “My help,” he asked, “are you serious? 1: what could you possibly need MY help with? 2: why in GOD’S NAME do you think I’ll help you?”

 

“Because you were right.”

 

Suddenly the laughter was gone. John had gotten deadly serious. “What did you say?”

 

“I said,” the demon spoke sternly, “that you were right. Not about me but about the magic.”

 

Constantine put down his beer and sat on the edge of his chair, this demanded his full attention. “Go on.” Charlie explained the situation as J’onn and Kara presented it to him. The fact that there was another who made it out of hell and that they were hiding on Earth. Additionally, whoever it was used magic that only belonged to one demon and his acolytes. 

 

“But that is impossible,” he explained, “the spells I did showed me that you were the only demon in the vicinity.”

 

“I know,” Charlie said, exasperated, “this is driving me insane too.” She leaned her head back and massaged the bridge of her nose. “Hell, I could have this one girl was a demon, but if she made it through the property unscathed then I guess I’m back at square one.”

 

“So what are you proposing exactly?”

 

Charlie sat up in her chair and faced Constantine. “I want to work together.” When he rolled his eyes, she continued. “Every demon knows how good of a warlock you are,” she explained, “your magic combined with my demonic knowledge will be unstoppable.”

 

John shooed away the idea. “Forget it, I don’t work with demons.”

 

“Look,” she said frankly, “this acolyte probably came to earth with one goal: Bring. Him. Back.” With each word Charlie pounded the table with her fist. “Now, I heard about your dealings with his people, so you know as well as I do that we can NOT allow that to happen.” Charlie stood up. “I’m not saying you need to like me,” she said, trying to get him to reconsider, “hell, you can hate me all you want. But the enemy of my enemy is a far better alternative.” She offered him her hand. “So what do you say? Despite times, you know.”

 

John looked at her thoughtfully. “Does Zari know?”

 

Charlie shook her head. “No, I figured I’d keep her out of it. It’s safer that way.”

 

“Good,” John said as he stood up to meet the demon, “then let’s do this”. 

 

The warlock shook the demon’s hand as she smiled. “Oh thank God,” she said, “that went a lot better than I thought it would.” John rolled his eyes as Charlie turned to go through her bag. “I actually heard you were in a band so…” Charlie turned around held up a small, plastic bag, “I got us something to celebrate our partnership with.”

 

John pointed at the bag. “Is that weed?”

 

Charlie turned to the bag before answering nonchalantly. “Yeah, why?”

 

The warlock smiled. “You may be the first demon I actually like.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Few points of reference:  
> 1\. For those who are wondering about the whole “age” thing. I’m having it be that God DID create everything, but science still exists (ie: god said “let there be light” 14.5 billion years ago, the scientificly estimated age of the universe).  
> 2\. For those who are wondering who HE is, don’t worry. You will learn next chapter.


	6. Anna

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A party, a demon, and a secret that could change everything. What could go wrong?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! So I did not expect to crank this chapter out as fast as I did, but here it is! 
> 
> I do not own legends of tomorrow, but if I did I would make sure to not undo kid!Zari having a GODDAMN DRAGON! Seriously, CW, think of the potential!
> 
>  
> 
> I hope you enjoy the chapter and please feel free to leave kudos/comments/constructive criticism.

Saturday, October 13th, 2018 (one month after the events of chapter 5)

 

6:00 PM (at the Waverider Bar)

 

As Anna sat in the dark on her folding chair, she began to feel a hint of impatience. She had been invited to the Waverider an hour before to what was described as a “very important event.” However, upon her arrival she discovered that the normally-lively bar was completely empty. In fact, it seemed as though all the tables and chairs had been moved off to the side, save for the one chair she was sitting in now. After following her invitation’s instruction to sit in it, all the lights immediately went out. It was then that she received another message; “ _Wait in your chair for a bit, we need to finish some things up.”_

 

Now, the girl had prided herself on many things; one of those was being reasonable and understanding. Because of this, Anna followed the directions and waited. However, after sitting in a folding chair in the dark for TEN GODDAMN MINUTES, she was being to reconsider her position.

 

This train of thought was interrupted when she began to hear footprints and shuffling coming from behind the bar. Anna’s eyes had adjusted to the dark, so she could make out the outlines of several dark figures moving towards her. While this development set off more red flags than she could count, her fears were quickly diluted when one of the figures tripped and Anna heard Mick Rory’s frustrated response of; “OW! FUCK!”

 

When the six figures surround her in a hexagon formation, the one directly in front of her clicked a button of some kind and a spotlight activated above Anna’s head. With the added light, she was able to more clearly see who the figures were and, more importantly, what they were wearing. They were clearly Ray’s friends that she had been hanging out with for the past month, but the way they were dressed was...off. This was because each one of them were wearing hooded robes that made them look like they were either in an extremely-strict, religious convent, or part of a cult.

 

The one in front of her, Sara, spoke. “Anna Loring,” she said with a fake deep voice, “you have interacted and engaged with us many times over the span of the past month in ways that one would consider fun, is this correct?”

 

Anna chuckled as she reflected on her time with the legends; the parties, the girls’ nights, the minigolf double-date with Sara and Ava that Ray organized, she didn’t realize how much she enjoyed them until now. “Uhh, yeah...” she said as she looked around before turning back to Sara, “I’m sorry, but is this a cult?”

 

She heard a few giggles before Sara replied. “No,” she said, still trying to keep the deep voice, “this isn’t a cult.”

 

“Tell that to the deep voice you’re trying to do. ‘Cos it sounds culty to me.”

 

A voice behind her right side spoke up. “Actually, Sara,” Zari spoke normally, “I actually agree with her. I mean, I get tradition, but it feels a little extra.”

 

“It is meant to be DRAMATIC! IT-,” when Sara realized they weren’t convinced, she sighed, “...fine...I’ll stop.” Repositioning herself, she began again. “And have you, Anna Loring, been pursuing a romantic, and possibly sexual, relationship with one Raymond Palmer?”

 

Anna crossed her arms and raised her eyebrow. “Were you _trying_ to do a movie trailer voice?”

 

“Just answer the friggin’ question.” Sara replied quickly.

 

“Only if you stop trying random voices when you talk.”

 

There was a long period of silence before Sara relented. “.... _Fine_ …”

 

Anna smiled. “Thank you,” she said, genuinely happy that _that_ was over, “and for your information, yes I have.”

 

“Very well,” Sara said, this time her voice was normal, “then it is my honor to tell you that after much deliberation among the group, we have agreed to offer you a place in our friend group. Do you accept?”

 

Anna held up a finger. “Quick question,” she said as she put her hand down, “are you SURE this is not a cult?”

 

Behind her on the left side, she heard Mick’s grunts. “Been asking myself that question since the day I started hanging out with these weirdos.”

 

“Still better than Scientology though,” Zari pointed out, “at least we don’t brainwash people who try to leave.”

 

“Guys,” Sara pulled the two out of their debate, “focus.” She then turned back to the girl in question. “Anna, will you be part of our friend group? Yes or no?”

 

Anna had previously been in a state of shock, but now this feeling turned to one of happiness as a smiled formed across her face. “Are you guys for real? Hell yeah!”

 

“That,” Sara said as she brought her hands together in a clap, “was exactly what I was hoping for.” She chuckled for a few seconds. “Gideon!”

 

The figure to Sara’s right turned towards her and removed her hood to reveal a fair-looking brunette. “Yes, Miss Lance?”

 

“Pass me the pledge packet, then go fire up the printer. The computer should have what I need set up. Print it out, and bring it back.”

 

The brunette gave Sara the book. “Right away, Miss Lance.” She then walked away and disappeared into a room behind the bar.”

 

The bar owner opened up the binder and used a pen to start writing on it. “...Anna...Loring...and you’re a doctor, right?”

 

“A pediatrician to be exact, but yeah.”

 

“Okay...pe-di-a-tri-cian. Got it.” She flipped a few pages before continuing. “Now, being a legend is a great honor, but it is not without responsibility. Are you willing to accept the terms and take the oath?”

 

At this point, Anna was pumped. “Heck yeah, let’s do this!”

 

There was a long pause before the voice directly behind her spoke. “Uh, Anna,” Ray said, “you kinda need to stand up.”

 

“Oh, right.” Anna quickly corrected her mistake. “Sorry.”

 

“Very well,” Sara chuckled, “then we shall begin.” Immediately, the group changed positions. Instead of surrounding her, the group now made a line facing her with Sara in the middle. “When I read the following conditions you must reply with yes or no. If you nay something and have good reason for it, we will allow you lenience with it. We are not unreasonable. Do you understand?”

 

“Yeah. Honestly, I’m just amazed you guys came up with something this sophisticated.”

 

“Nah,” Sara said as she dismissed it, “our old friend, Rip, wrote this thing up originally. We just added a few little things and took out some of the seriousness.” She cleared her throat. “Back to the matter at hand. Anna Loring, do you agree to pledge your loyalty to the legends, to trust in us and stand by our side through thick and thin?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Are you willing to give of yourself to a legend; so long as you are able to?”

 

“I won’t agree to people mooching off of me, but yes.”

 

“Fair enough. Do you agree to give the legends a discount at wherever you work?”

 

“I specialize in children’s health and none of you are children….but sure.”

 

“Trust me,” Ava said, “you say that now, but this group can genuinely surprise you with that sometimes.”

 

“Hush, my sexy second in command,” at that comment, Anna could see some red in Ava’s cheeks, “let us continue.” This went on for a while, covering everything from girls nights and movie viewing/spoilers to LGBT acceptance and what to do if you move away (“ _at least one get together every year,” Sara said, “it can be any time but it’s usually around the end of November_ ”). But, it wasn’t flawless, as at one point Sara tried to get Anna to use her medical license to get her some tranquilizers ( _“Sara,” Ava asked, “why do you need tranquilizers?” “So that when someone is being an asshole in my bar I can shoot them with it and toss them out! Think about it, Ava, it could actually work!”_ ). Luckily for everyone, Anna quickly rejected it. Finally, Sara delivered the last condition.

 

“Finally, by accepting your title of _legend_ , do you agree to follow the most important, nay, the FOUNDING rule of the legends, which is to never EVER talk about the legends?” Everyone rolled their eyes. “Oh come on,” Sara replied, “you all knew I had to add at least one _Fight Club_ reference in there!”

 

Anna chuckled. “Alright then, sure.”

 

Gideon (who had returned some time ago), handed two pieces of paper to Sara. “Then by the power vested in me, as owner of the Waverider, I officially welcome you to the legends! Here is your official certificate and your pass to have free drinks. Congratulations.” Sara hit the button again and this time the whole bar lit up. There was pizza, drinks, and a cake that had “welcome to the team” written on it. “Enjoy your welcoming party.”

 

***(7:30) John’s cabin

 

“What do you mean, ‘that was the last one?’” Charlie took a sip of her beer as she laid on the warlock’s couch. “There has to be something we haven’t tried.”

 

“Well,” Constantine said as he put his books back on the shelf, “clearly you don’t know what the term “last one” means. It means we have tried every method in every one of these,” he waved the book at the couch as he put it back, “damn books.”

 

“But that-,” the demon rubbed the bridge of her nose to alleviate her growing headache, “that can’t be it.”

 

John sighed, he understood how the demon felt; to feel so sure about something only to have it disproven at every step. He got off the step-stool and walked over to the demon lounging in his living room. “Look,” he said as he sat down on his recliner, “we’ve been hunting this demon that is supposedly “in the area” for a month now. We have set traps, used an enchanted tracker…” Constantine chuckled, “Hell, we even got that priest to bless the water supply to turn it into holy water.”

 

Charlie groaned. “Don’t remind me,” the demon grumbled, “I had to have you teleport me out of town every morning for a WEEK just so I could have a goddamn shower.”

 

“But,” the warlock reminded her, “nothing worked. Every trap turned up empty, you were the only demon that was detected, and even the angels were all accounted for.” John let out a breath as he leaned back into his chair. “We have tried everything.”

 

“Oh, come on John, we both know how tricky his acolytes are. They must be hiding themselves.”

 

‘Exactly what I think.’ The thought almost made the warlock smile. In the past month, John had begun to see parts of himself in his demonic compatriot. In fact, if her almost-obsessive desire to see the acolyte returned to hell was any indication, it was very possible Charlie hated demons more than he did (which may also be an inductor of self-loathing issues that also exceed his). The more he interacted with her, the less he viewed her as a scum-sucking piece of shit, and rather, a decent ally.

 

Not that he would ever tell her, of coarse.

 

“Listen I’m as disappointed as you are, but the fact is that you were the only celestial being to escape hell that night.” The demon was silent so John tried a different tactic. “I’ll tell you what,” he said as he got up, “I think we should celebrate the dissolving of our partnership with a drink. Come on, first one’s on me.”

 

John started walking to the closet to grab his trenchcoat when Charlie spoke. “What did you say?”

 

John turned back to see the demon sitting up. She had a puzzled face and a million-yard stare. “I ummm-,” he cleared his throat, “I said that you were the one to escape hell that nig-.”

 

“No,” Charlie cut him off in a trance-like voice, “you said I was the only celestial…” She turned to look at him. “What exactly are the wards on the property good against, again?”

 

Constantine was confused by the question but decided to roll with it. “They’re good against angels, demons, hellhounds, strigoi….any non-humans really.”

 

The demon got up and started pacing around the room. “But...aren’t strigoi and lycanthropes technically human? At the very least, they were originally.”

 

“A common belief, but no.” John licked his lips as he tried to find how best to explain it. “Once a human becomes a monster, their soul twists and changes into something different...a “monster” soul would be the most apt description.”

 

The demon continued pacing and John could see the mental gears turn in her head. Where she was going, however, he couldn’t guess. “So it’s not that your wards don’t affect humans, it’s that it doesn’t affect those with an intact human soul.”

 

“I….guess.”

 

The demon stopped dead in her tracks. “So as long as they are in the _body_ of a human and possess a _human soul_ , anyone can get in?”

 

“I never thought about that before, let me think.” The warlock played with the idea for a bit before answering. “I suppose it is possible, but I don’t know-.”

 

“SHIT!” Charlie rushed over to the shelves and grabbed the summoning book. “Damn it,” she yelled, “how could I be so bloody stupid!”

 

Casting his trenchcoat to the floor, the warlock rushed to the demon’s side. “Why, what is it.”

 

“We were so focused on demons that I completely forgot,” Charlie found the page and pointed it out for John to see, “celestials aren’t the only things that live in hell.”

 

***(8:00) at the Waverider Bar

 

Zari didn’t know what she had expected, really.

 

When they all agreed to bring Anna into the group with a party, Zari had gone along with it. She thought it would distract her from the demonic elephant in the room. While Charlie had gotten a bit more “normal,” she still managed to press all of Zari’s buttons. But what pissed her off most was that sometimes she would just go somewhere with John without telling her where she was or what she was doing. It was inconsiderate. It was infuriating. It was….

 

It was like she was losing her to someone else again.

 

Zari shook her head, she should’ve known better than to come. All this talk of friendship and family didn’t make her feel better. All it did was remind her of all the shit that wouldn’t be the same. ‘Hearing your best friend preach about honesty is a pretty good way to remind you of all the lies you’ve told,’ she thought.

 

Then her thoughts drifted back to Charlie (as they often do nowadays). What was going to happen when this year is up? Will Charlie keep living in Amaya’s body or is she going to abandon it and leave the corpse behind? She doesn’t even want to think about what would happen if the rest found out about Charlie being a demon. While she’d like to think they’d accept her, Zari just can’t believe it. ‘They’ll hate me too,’ she tells herself, ‘lying to them about this...that’s not the kind of thing you forgive.’

 

Zari shook her head as she downed a shot. ‘Damn,’ she thinks as the liquid burns down her throat, ‘Sara broke out the good scotch. It almost makes me want to tell them about Charlie so that I can grab a bottle from _her_ welcoming party.’ The image of the demon being the subject of one of Sara’s parties genuinely amused her. Zari could imagine Charlie either getting disappointed about the fact that it didn’t involve group sex or insane amounts of drugs. Of coarse, it did present an interesting philosophical question; if Amaya already had a welcoming party, and Charlie has become Amaya, would Charlie get one too?

 

Zari’s mental debate on this major question was halted when Anna walked up to her. “Hey,” she said softly, “is everything okay? I saw you standing alone over here and I just-.”

 

“I’m...good.” Zari sighed, she couldn’t even convince herself. “It’s just been a long week.”

 

“I get it,” she said with a huff as she leaned on the table with Zari, “Ray’s been telling me how you’ve been pulling extra hours to help with his big project.” Zari turned to look at her questioningly but Anna held up her hands in surrender. “Relax, he hasn’t told me. He says he wants it to be a surprise.”

 

‘The cure for paralysis,’ she thought to herself, ‘that’s one hell of a surprise.’ She had to admire his dedication though, it must kill him to not tell her. “Well then,” she picked up two shot-glasses, “a toast.”

 

Anna held up a hand. “Oh, no need,” she raised her other hand to reveal a brightly colored drink, “I’ve already got a drink.”

 

“Trust me,” Zari insisted, “this is the good stuff. Sara only brings this out on special occasions. You never know when you can get it again.” With a sigh, Anna put down her electric blue margarita and the two women raised their glasses. “To Ray,” Zari toasted, “who always finds the good in us.”

 

Anna smiled as she replied. “To Ray.” The duo downed their shots and Anna laughed. “Oh damn, this is good.” She then grabbed another and downed that one like it was water.

 

“I know right? Ch-Amaya would love this stuff.”

 

“Yeah,” Anna said sadly, “shame she couldn’t come. Plus, I was really looking forward to meeting Nate. Ray speaks very highly of him.”

 

Zari shrugged. “Yeah, him and Nate have the best bromance in this whole group. It actually kinda blows that he hasn’t come back yet. Apparently the business trip took longer than he expected.” When it looked like Anna was starting to look sad, Zari decided to try and cheer her up. “We told him about you though. I mean, he’s still probably going to vet you when he gets back because you’re dating his best friend….but he seemed to like you!”

 

“What about Amaya? I thought she’d be here too.”

 

The hacker shook her head. “I’m afraid not, she apparently had some class stuff she needed to take care of.”

 

“I...ummm,” Anna began to speak, “I know this may be an awkward thing to ask, but are you and her okay?”

 

Zari was taken back by the question. “I-Yeah, why?”

 

“It’s just….whenever our group hangs out, I just feel this... _tension_...between the two of you.” She paused to take a sip from her blue drink. “And Ray...he thinks that recently you’ve spent more time at your desk than in your apartment.” She shook her head. “Listen, I heard that there was a breakup recently and if things are awkward between the two of you because of it, that’s okay. I just wanted to make sure you were-.”

 

It was at this time that Zari was processing what Anna was fully saying. “Woah woah woah...Amaya and I,” she shook her head, “we never dated.”

 

Anna seemed actually surprised by this. “You didn’t? I could have sworn-.”

 

“Nonono. Amaya and I...ARE NOT GAY.” Zari emphasized the last three words to show her point. “She dated Nate, and I’m straight.” When it finally looked like she understood, Zari continued. “Yeah, Amaya and I….I guess we’ve…,” Zari looked around before turning back to Anna. “If I tell you something, can you promise not to tell anyone?”

 

A sly look formed along Anna’s features. “Well, after all the stuff I agreed to, I’m contractually obligated to keep a legend’s secret.”

 

The two shared a quick laugh before Zari continued. “I guess that recently Amaya’s just…..turned into a different person.” God the amount of melodrama in that sentence made Zari want to kick herself, but she continued. “Other than my brother, these people,” she indicated to the other legends who were preoccupying themselves with a karaoke machine, “may as well be the only family I have. Waking up one morning to find out their personality took a 180 is…”

 

“World shaking,” Anna said, seeming to understand.

 

“Yeah. I guess I just want things to go back to the way they were. But life doesn’t work that way, does it?” With that, Zari walked over to the other side of the table and got the same type of drink as Anna. The two then stood in silence as Sara tried to sing _People Like Us_.

 

Anna broke the silence. “You mentioned that the legends may as well be your only family, right.” Zari nodded. “What happened?”

 

“Aside from my younger brother,” Zari spoke bluntly, “my family and I are not on speaking terms.”

 

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. May I-,”

 

“No.” Zari quickly shot her down. “Look, I know you are a part of the group and all that, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to go into my life’s story. It’s my business, not yours.”

 

“No,” Anna looked at her drink like it was the most interesting thing in the world, “I wasn’t going to ask about what happened. Like you said, it’s not my business.” The girl sighed. “I was just wondering if you could give me some advice.”

 

Zari shrugged. “Depends, go for it.”

 

“I-,” she cleared her throat, “for a good part of my life, my...family...has taught to do only one thing. Because of this, my life- my purpose has been to do this one thing.” Zari watch Anna slowly slip into trance-like speech. “Now, this thing I’m supposed to do is...terrifying… but my family says it will secure my best possible future. However, recently,” Zari pretended not to notice Nora look towards Ray, “it’s like I’ve discovered a new possibility for myself, one that I couldn’t imagine before. And even though I don’t know what will happen if I choose it, I’m not scared of the uncertainty.” Anna turned back to Zari. “So that’s my dilemma; do I choose the fate that has been set for me, or do I see where this path takes me?”

 

The coder shook her head. “Why me,” she asked, “I’m sure the others would be much more helpful than I would be. I’m not exactly the poster child for having my life together.”

 

Anna rolled her eyes. “You’re the only one who comes close to understanding what I am dealing with.” She motioned to the legends as she talked. “Sara is nice, but she is a bit too much of a rebel. Ava could work, but she almost always follows the rules. I can’t ask Ray and Mick is….Mick. But you,” she pointed at Zari, “you still have ties to your past and your present. You still connect with your brother, but you have found family with this group.

 

Well,” Zari said, not expecting the complexity of the question, “I guess I’ll have to think about it-.”

 

“Please,” Anna grabbed her arm, “I don’t care if it’s the exact solution, I just need to know your thoughts.” Zari looked back at her, the poor girl looked nervous, almost scared. There was definitely more to this than she was letting on.

 

Zari sighed as she tried to come up with something that sounded good. “Look, it sounds to me like the only reason you want to stay down the path you are on is because your family wants you to. I think that before you figure out what path to choose, you need to decide if this _one thing_ is something that YOU want.”

 

“Yeah,” the girl said as she looked off almost solemnly, “that...that makes sense. I….I’m sorry if I got a little weird on you but-.”

 

Zari chuckled. “Hey,” she said with a reassuring smile, “don’t worry about it. Never forget that being a legend means that you have people who care and will help when life gives you shit.” She paused and her smile turned to a wicked grin. “It’s what makes us a good cult.”

 

Anna quickly covered her face as she accidentally did a spit-take. The girl then let out a laugh of pure joy. The two laughed together until Anna started running out of breath. “That-,” Anna took in a deep breath, but continued giggling, “that was a good one.”

 

“Who knows? Maybe in another life I was a comedian.” Zari started moving away from the table and motioned for Nora to follow. “Come on, this is your party. As your friend, I can not allow you to sit in the corner and miss it.”

 

Anna rolled her eyes, but followed her. “You’re right,” she said with a smirk, “might as well enjoy it while it lasts.” As the two of them walked over to the karaoke, Anna leaned slightly closer to Zari. “Another question,” she whispered, “did you have to do the whole “initiation” thing when you joined too?”

 

“Oh yeah,” Zari nodded, “but yours was pretty normal by comparison.”

 

Anna raised an eyebrow at her. “How so?”

 

“Back then we had more guys so Rip would get them together and they would do the chant from Monty Python. You know,” Zari cleared her throat and spoke as deep as she could, “ _Vine Jesu Domini! Bonae est requiem!”_

 

“Holy shit. This _is_ a cult.”

 

Zari laughed, she really liked that Anna was joining the group. She was fun, nice and Zari really enjoyed talking to her. Even though Zari could tell that she had some issues from their recent conversation, it didn’t faze her. ‘After all,’ she thought, ‘you can’t be a legend until you have some emotional baggage.’ Lucky she had found this family and now Anna was a part of it as well. Something told Zari that Anna was gonna be a great fit here.

 

*** (8:15, at John’s cabin)

 

“Shit.” The demon and the warlock stood over the table in both shock and horror as the ritual finished. It had taken them ten minutes to find the right spell to track the creature, and thirty to gather all the ingredients. Part of her hoped she was wrong, that the spell would show that everything was okay.

 

“Love,” the warlock said bluntly, “we passed shite territory.” He took out and lit a cigarette. “We are simply fucked.”

 

As the pair looked upon a map of their town, one tiny drop of blood moved around the address of the Waverider Bar.

 

One drop…

 

There was someone else who escaped hell that night, and now it was loose in a room with their closest friends.

 

The demon swallowed nervously. “Damn it,” she said, “why did I have to be right?”

 

*** (8:30 Waverider Bar)

 

Zari was her cake when she saw the demon and the warlock walk into the Waverider. The surprise made her spit some of it out and drew everyone’s attention to where she was looking.

 

Mick looked back for a bit. “Oh look,” he said, returning to his cake, “girlie and trenchcoat decided to show up.”

 

Sara stood up tentatively. “Heeeyyy guys, I didn’t think you guys were coming.”

 

Zari recognized the brief look of panic on Charlie’s face before it was replaced with a slapped-on grin. The mortal could tell the two were up to something. “Well,” the demon said as the two walked closer, “when you guys told me that you wanted to make Anna a legend I decided to do something….special….for the celebration.” Zari internally laughed, the demon had the confidence of a con artist but was absolutely terrible with bullshitting. The only reason Zari hadn’t called her out yet was because she wanted to know where Charlie would go with this. “So, me and ‘ol John decided to get something to welcome her in style.” The demon turned to John. “Why don’t you show them.” The warlock rolled his eyes before reaching into his coat and pulling out an intricate glass bottle the contained some brown liquid and had a weird logo on the side. John set it on the table and Charlie made a cheesy smile. “Tada!!”

 

Sara picked up the bottle. “Guys, this is great but I’m already covering the…” something caught her eye, “...wait.” She inspected the label and her eyes widened. “Is this…what I think it is?” Sara’s excitement bled into her words.

 

“Yep,” the demon said proudly, “one bottle of Macallan 64.”

 

“Holy shit!”

 

Zari watched as Ava stood up to calm down her girlfriend. “Sara,” She said as she rested a hand on Sara’s shoulder, “calm down. What’s so special about this “Macallan 64” stuff?”

 

The bar owner chuckled. “Ava...this,” she motioned to the bottle, “is THE most expensive whiskey in the world.” She turned back to the demon. “I heard a bottle of this stuff was sold for over four hundred thousand dollars. How the hell did you get this?”

 

Charlie shrugged. “Oh, you know, just called in a few favors, that’s all.” The demon paused to scan the table. “Where is Anna, anyway?”

 

“In the bathroom,” Sara immediately answered as she held the whiskey like was her baby, “because SOMEONE accidentally spilled vodka on her shirt.” She looked angrily towards Mick, but gave up when it seemed to have no effect. “Here,” she handed the liquor back to the demon, “let’s set up the shots. We can surprise her when she comes out.” An idea seemed to pop in her head. “Oh! You can be the one to present the glass to her!”

 

The demon smiled as the two made their way over to the bar. They managed to pour out one shot for everyone and passed the glasses around. By the time they were all set up, Anna was walking out of the bathroom. “Hey guys,” her eyes lit up when she saw Amaya, “oh my gosh, you made it!”

 

Charlie kept her fake smile. “Yep, I wanted to surprise you.” She reached back and held out a glass. “I decided to get you a proper drink for your welcoming party. Why don’t you try some?”

 

Anna seemed to reach out for it before she stopped herself. She then turned to look at the demon. Zari couldn’t see her face, but she could tell that Anna knew something was up. The girl then slowly pulled her hand back and put it on her stomach. “I’m sorry,” she said painfully, “but I think I’m all liquored out for the evening.”

 

Charlie tried her best to look sympathetic. “Oh, are you sure?” She used her wrist to slowly stir the alcohol in front of her. “This is once-in-a-lifetime whiskey! Surly you can have one more shot before you go.”

 

Suddenly it was like warning sirens were blaring in Zari’s head. She could feel the mental battle between the two, each daring the other to submit. If she didn’t know better, the hacker would think that there was a possibility that Anna was on the same level as this demon. It felt as though two nukes walked into a room and one spit in the other’s face. Every cell in Zari’s body was telling her to **run**...but she couldn’t. She was transfixed by the sight before her. The hacker looked around and could tell from a glance that they were all feeling it too. They didn’t even have a clue, but they still felt the energy coming from the two.

 

Anna shook her head as she let out a groan. “I don’t think so Amaya,” she looked up at her, “maybe next time.”

 

The demon seemed to consider this for a moment before shrugging. “Very well.” She then took the glass and finished it in one, long sip. When she was done, she sighed and looked down to regard the empty glass in her hand. “Time for plan B then.” The demon then raised the glass….

 

And smashed it into Anna’s face.

 

The girl fell to the ground screaming, raising her hands to cover her cut and bleeding face. As soon as they processed it, the rest of the legends were on Charlie and dragged her to the wall. Sara tried to organize the group. “Gideon,” she said loudly, “get the first aid kit! Ray, try to help minimize the bleeding! Ava, call 911!” She turned to Zari. “What are you doing just standing there? Help me!” The warlock ran to the phone while Zari went over to the demon. “Amaya,” Sara growled, “what the fuck did you just do?”

 

The demon spoke bluntly and confidently. “I needed to get her blood pumping. You know, piss her off.”

 

Sara stood absolutely dumbfounded. “Is this some kind of sick joke to you?”

 

Charlie shook her head. “Not at all. It was the only way to know for certain.”

 

“Know what for cer-.”

 

“Hey guys,” Ray said nervously, “I think something is wro-.”

 

There was a loud *thump* that pulled in everyone’s attention. When the group looked over they expected to see Anna on the ground, with Ray taking care of her. Instead, Ray was on the ground, unconscious, and Anna was squatting in front of him, her back turned to the group. “I’m sorry, Ray,” she said to him softly, “but I would rather not have you see me like this.”

 

Sara cautiously released Charlie and started slowly moving towards Anna. “Wha-,” she stammered, “what did you do to him?”

 

The girl reached down and caressed the unconscious man’s cheek with her thumb. “I merely told him to go to sleep.” Slowly, she rose to her feet, her face still hidden from sight. “You want to know something, **asshole** ?” Her voice suddenly changed, and caused every human in the room to flinch (it even caused Mick to release his grip on the demon). It was as though three voices were speaking through her at once: one normal, one deep, and one high pitched. Listening to it was like nails on chalkboard. She turned around to show that her eyes had turned blood red. Anna tried to reach up and touch her still-bleeding face but flinched at the touch. “That **really** fucking hurt.” She then held a hand over the wound. “ _Shufaa_.” Her hand glowed and the wound started healing itself. The cuts closed and Zari could see the muscles pushing the broken glass out of her skin.”

 

The Sara turned to the demon. “Amaya, what the fuck is going on?”

 

Anna laughed mockingly. “Oh yes _Amaya_ ,” she said mockingly, “tell them what is going on.”

 

The demon quickly turned to her roommate. “Z, you need to get them out of here, quickl-.”

 

She was cut off by Anna instantly closed the space between them and put her hand around the demon’s throat. The girl began to effortlessly lift her up with one hand until Charlie’s feet were no longer touching the ground. The demon gasped as she was being choked, but Anna just laughed. “Now, now,” she said sadistically, “that wasn’t the question.” The girl then turned and threw Charlie across the room into a corner booth. The force she threw her at caused the metal table to bend like play dough when Charlie collided with it. John tried to jump in an help but Anna hit him right in the diaphragm before he could do a spell. As the warlock fell to the ground, his lungs void of air, the girl smiled at him. “John Constantine...if I recall, you once left Zari in the parking lot, unconscious.” She squatted down and placed a hand on his head, “looks like the shoe’s on the other foot, now. _Vermina_!” The warlock seized up before falling unconscious and limp.

 

Suddenly, there was a loud yell and Anna was unexpectedly hit from behind. Mick Rory had grabbed a chair and used it in an attempt to bring the girl down. He yelled at the raven-haired girl. “Have a chair, witch-bitch!”

 

Mick raised another chair to hit her, but Anna turned around just in time. She aimed her hand up at him: “ _impediendum motum locus!”_ Green magic blasted out of her hand like a wave and froze people in place. She then relaxed and breathed a sigh of relief. “Alright,” she groaned as she got to her feet, “that should hold you guys. Don’t want that shit to happen again.”

 

The sound of pained laughter echoed through the room and Anna turned to see the demon starting to move again. “N-n-now-,” her eyes widened as she coughed up blood. After a few more painful breaths, she continued. “Now...that’s... what I call,” The demon smiled, “...retaliation.” Charlie reached up and started using the seat to work herself up. “You may have punctured one of my lungs,” she laughed slowly, “but it was worth it.” The demon pointed a broken finger at Anna. “I was fuckin’ right about you.”

 

Anna’s face went from smirking to pissed off. “Yeah,” she spoke coldly, “and now I’m going to **end** you.” The girl slowly began walking towards the demon, her eyes starting to glow red. Charlie, on the other hand, could do nothing but put up her fists in a manner that resembled the old fisticuffs style.

 

“Anna! STOP!” The witch turned her head to see that Zari had regained the ability to speak.

 

“It’s too late Z. This must be done.”

 

“Anna, please,” Zari’s voice filled with desperation, “you don’t need to do this! I don’t know why you’re doing this, or what she has done to you, but I know you’re better than this.” Zari tried to reach out to her with her hand, but it wouldn’t budge. “The Anna I know is a good person. She likes helping people, she likes her friends, and she loves Ray Palmer.” On that one, Anna seemed to flinch. “So please,” Zari begged, “please stop this. This isn’t you…”

 

As Anna looked at Zari, her eyes began to go back to normal and a sad look came over her. “I’m sorry Zari,” she shook her head, “but Anna has been dead for a long time now.”

 

“Then which one of the seven dwarves are you then?” Charlie asked. “Grumpy, Slutty, or Bitchy?”

 

The witch took a deep breath before speaking again with confidence. “I know you all can still hear me….and I just want to say that, other than my business with that asshole over there, this is not personal. I need you to know that even though this all started as an act, I have come to consider you all to be some of the best friends I have ever had. I will truly miss you all.” Anna smiled as she wiped away some of the tears that had been building up. “But,” she said as she reached down and grabbed Constantine by the collar of his trenchcoat, “the time has come to do what I came here to do.” She dragged the warlock over to where Ray Palmer laid unconscious and turned to face the demon. “I’m taking these two humans with me.”

 

“Why,” Charlie asked, “what do you want with them?”

 

Anna seemed to consider this for a moment. “Come to the abandoned Heywood Technologies warehouse outside of town at ten o’clock. I’d rather not fight my friends so came alone. I don’t want to hurt them, but the only way you’ll get these two back is if you come and face me. I’ll show you how much I’ve learned since you left, Charlie.”

 

Charlie’s eyes widened. “...Nora?”

 

The witch smirked. “The spell should wear off once I leave, so don’t worry.” She said a spell and a portal opened behind her. “Ciao!” The witch turned and dragged the two unconscious humans through and the portal closed behind her.

 

Immediately, all the humans flickered green as they regained their ability to move. Zari immediately ran over to the demon’s side. “Charlie,” she said, on the verge of panic, “are you okay?”

 

Charlie looked up and gave the dopiest smile. “Better now that I have you.” She groaned in pain. “Would you mind pulling up my shirt?”

 

“Now is not the time for flirting.”

 

“No, Z, I’m serious. I think I may one of my ribs may have turned into an open fracture. I need to put it back in.”

 

“Oh shit,” Zari said as she complied, “sorry.” She hiked up the shirt and saw a jagged piece of bone a few inches long sticking out below Charlie’s right breast.

 

“Who was that?” Zari turned around to see Sara, Ava, Mick and Gideon all standing behind her. The group looked confused and angry which, while understandable given the circumstances, did not bode well for Zari and the demon. “No, wait,” Sara seemed to reconsider, “WHAT the hell was that? That thing took us out in seconds without so much as an afterthought. It can not be human.”

 

“Oh trust me, it is….or at least it wa-AAAGHH.” Charlie yelled as she began to push the bone back in. The others tried to stop her, but stopped when Charlie got the rib back in. As soon as the rib was inside her, the wound began to heal before the group’s very eyes. Muscle and skin regrew and in two seconds there was no evidence the wound had been there at all. “That girl,” Charlie said as she rose to her feet to the awe of the wide-eyed humans, “is what we call a ‘wraith’. She goes by the name of Nora Darhk. And if I had to guess I would say that she is here to kill me and end the world.” Silently the demon walked over to the somehow-untouched bar and grabbed the whiskey she brought. She then poured it into one of the glasses and took a sip.

 

“Man,” she said with a satisfied sigh, “this really is some good shit.”

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo Yeah, Anna is really Nora Darhk. Some of you may have seen this coming, and frankly, I get it. Honestly, while I appreciate Anna’s impact on Ray, her whole character is “she died.” However, now that they know who she is, it makes writing her WAY easier. 
> 
> Next chapter may be a 2-parter and will end first section that I like to call: the ‘Rising’ saga. 
> 
> See you next chapter!


	7. Nora (part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After suffering a beat-down at the hands of the (now revealed) Nora Darhk, the legends gear up to rescue their stolen friends. Shocking revelations unfold as the group tries to find out the extent of Nora Darhk’s plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, the first part of my “season finale” of sorts. Sorry this took so long, I had to deal with graduation things and family issues. Next one should be out sooner.  
> I don’t own Legends, but I really hope that they do to the new Zari what they did to Maisie’s character (brought back but with 200% more gay energy) so zarlie can be a thing.  
> I hope you enjoy the chapter and please feel free to leave kudos/comments/constructive criticism. Also: italics=flashback.

_Once upon a time in the year 900 A.D., there lived a young peasant girl. Now, despite what one may assume by how she was introduced, this girl was completely and utterly ordinary. She had no royal blood, no special powers, and even the tragedy that marked her life, the death of her whole family, was considered trivial by the standards of the time. The only thing that had ever earned her a pittance of attention was her beauty. No matter the condition she was in, the girl somehow managed to possess shimmering black hair, an unmarked face and full lips that drew the attention of the men around her._

 

_But now, as she lay in the middle of the forest, broken and left to die, the girl cursed the maker for making her so._

 

_Since the day her bleeding became well known, the girl had to fight off suitors trying to win her hand. It was not that she hated them (after all, who was she to argue against God’s design of man), but rather found their motives to be…distasteful. The girl knew that all these men desired was to simply take her flower and make her their property._

 

_The girl, on the other hand, wanted something more._

 

_Despite knowing that it was too naive to believe in such things, the girl desired what she heard of in storybook love. She wanted true love, romance, to connect with someone on a level that transcended the physical form. The girl knew it was foolish, but she wanted her own ‘knight in shining armor’ to rescue her._

 

_As fate would happen, though, there WAS in fact a knight that sought to earn her hand: a young man named Sir Percy. This man had traveled far to meet the peasant whose beauty was said to rival a princess, and when he arrived he was not disappointed. He entered the girl’s hovel and offered to take her to a life of luxury if she would agree to be his. However, the girl knew that he would only value her as a trophy, and would get rid of her the minute she was no longer beautiful. So, while the girl expressed her gratitude for the offer, she turned it down._

 

_However, this was a fatal mistake._

 

_Sir Percy grew agitated, in all of his conquests, not once had someone refused the pleasure of his company. Once more he made his request (this time anger leaked out of his voice), but once again, the peasant refused. In a fit of rage, the knight knocked the girl to the ground._

 

_“Then you leave me no choice,” the knight said as he used the shoddy material from the girl’s own dress to gag and bind her hands and feet. He then proceeded to carry her outside to his horse. After giving a stern look to the peasants, they quickly diffused back to what they were doing (they knew better than to stand in the way of a man who was above them). Sir Percy then rode with the poor girl for an hour before throwing her to the ground in the middle of the woods and taking out his knife. “Since you did not allow me to take you freely,” he said as he cut her face, “I see no reason why I should let you live to be someone else’s.” He then stabbed her in the stomach and rode off on his horse, leaving her to die._

 

_As the girl felt the blood pouring from her body, she reached out to the universe. Through tears, she begged to know why God had allowed this to happen to her, and why he seemed to make no effort to help her now. ‘Please,’ she wordlessly cried, ‘I’ll pay any price, just don’t let me die here.”_

 

_Suddenly the girl heard a noise, like the flapping of large wings, to her right side. She looked over and saw an old, hooded woman emerge from the bushes. The stranger made her way over until she stood over the bleeding girl. “Please,” the peasant used the last of her strength to reach up to the woman, “help...me…”_

 

_The woman knelt down and placed her hand over the girl’s wound before speaking in a strange tongue. Instantly, she felt the pain fade away as it was replaced by a gentle warmth. “Sleep child,” the woman said in a soothing voice, “when you wake, you shall be healed. What is your name?”_

 

_As the peasant felt her eyes close, she slowly answered._

 

_“...Nora…”_

 

***(present day, at the Waverider Bar, immediately after where we left off from last time)

 

“Hey,” Sara snapped her fingers in front of the demon, “are you listening?”

 

Charlie shook her head as her mind came back to the present. “No, sorry. I was thinking about something else. What did you say?”

 

This seemed to piss her off. “We want to know….what the fuck are you?”

 

The demon shook her head as she poured herself another glass. “I’m afraid I can’t tell you that, love.”

 

“That’s it,” Sara growled, “no more fucking around.” She knocked the bottle out of Charlie’s hand and as it shattered on the ground Sara smashed the demon’s head against the bar counter. She then quickly grabbed a knife from behind the bar and held it to the girl’s throat. “Tell us who and what you are right now, or we find out if you can recover from a severed jugular!”

 

“Sara,” Ava jumped in to try and reign her in, “what is wrong with you? This is Amaya! Are you seriously going to hold a knife to our friend’s throat?”

 

“Actually, Ava...you _are_ Ava, right?” The demon shook her head. “Never mind, it doesn’t matter...I can say that your girlfriend is right though, I’m not Amaya.” She took a deep breath. “My name is Charlie.”

 

There was a long period of silence before spoke again. “Alright, _Charlie_ ,” she said with venom in her voice, “that’s one question down. Now, tell us what the hell you are!”

 

“Still not allowed to say.”

 

“Don’t care,” Sara brought the knife to the skin of Charlie’s neck, “start talking.”

 

The demon smirked. “Trust me, ninja Barbie, even though that knife is about as threatening to me as someone pointing finger guns at someone, I do want to tell you. But I’m afraid it’s not that simple.” She looked at the human threatening her nonchalantly. “I made a deal with someone to not tell anyone who I am without their express permission.”

 

“Then enlighten us,” Ava said, “whose permission do you need?” The demon raised her head up and locked eyes with the one she made a deal with. Slowly, the others turned to see what Charlie was staring at only to see the mortal avert her gaze out of guilt. Hesitantly, Ava started to ask; “....Zari, did you-.”

 

“Go ahead, Charlie,” the hacker shamefully commanded, “show them. I give you my permission.”

 

The demon closed her eyes as she nodded. When they reopened, her eyes were replaced with the red-black orbs of her true form. The demon growled and Sara quickly backed away. “Y-you’re a….”

 

“Demon,” Mick answered bluntly. “Well yeah, I thought we all knew that already, didn’t we?”

 

Everyone turned towards Mick in disbelief. “Mick,” Sara asked, “the hell do you mean ‘I thought we all knew that already?’”

 

The man shrugged. “Girlie went from being boring to being awesome. Besides, the way she played piano? Everyone knows demons are great musicians.”

 

Ava raised her eyebrow. “How the hell did you learn that?”

 

Mick responded as if it were the simplest thing in the world; “have you guys ever listened to _Devil Went Down to Georgia_?” The demon actually looked happy to hear someone knew that fact.

 

Sara sighed. “Fine, but why the fuck didn’t you say anything?”

 

“Thought you all knew,” the man shrugged. “Seemed pretty obvious to me.”

 

Charlie chuckled, “I’m sorry, Z, but I think this guy may be my new favorite.”

 

“If you’re here,” Ava cut through the conversation, “then what happened to Amaya?”

 

That comment sucked the mirth out of Charlie as she sighed. “I knew that would come up,” the demon said sadly as she turned to face Ava. “There is no easy way to say this, but Amaya’s dead.” She looked down to see Sara tightening her grip on the knife. “Don’t worry,” she added, “I didn’t kill her. She was already dead when I possessed her.”

 

Sara looked towards Zari. “Did you know?” When she didn’t answer, Sara repeated herself. “Zari,” she said sternly, “did you know?”

 

“....yes…”

 

Sara licked her lips before speaking again. “How...long?”

 

Zari hung her head in shame. “A little over a month.”

 

Sara stabbed her knife into the table next to her. “God damn it Z, I-.”

 

The demon moved between the two women. “Don’t. Now’s not the time-.”

 

“Oh yeah,” Ava said sarcastically, “like we are going to take life advice from the GODDAMN DEVIL!”

 

“Look,” Charlie said bluntly, “even if I WAS Lucifer, I am still much more preferable than what we are facing right now. So get your emotional bullshit together because we have bigger problems.”

 

“She’s right…” Sara said reluctantly. Ava reached out to comfort her girlfriend but she held her hand up. “No,” Sara stopped her, “Am-Charlie makes a good point. That bitch has our friends and we need to get them back.”

 

The demon’s eyes widened. “Whoa whoa whoa! Hold on a minute!” Charlie walked right up to Sara, looking at her as one would look at a crazy person. “Are you insane? We can’t go after them!”

 

Anger returned to Sara’s face. “What are you talking about? We are _going_ to go save them!”

 

“Like hell! We need to get out of here, now!”

 

Zari folded her arms in disappointment. “Why,” she asked, “are you scared?”

 

The demon whipped around, her true eyes showing themselves in her frustration. “Yes! Of course I am! Any sane man would be!”

 

“You’re scared of witch-bitch?” Mick took a sip of beer. “How? Shouldn’t you be able to put her on her ass with your demon powers or some shit?”

 

The demon walked away from the group as she threaded a hand through her hair. “Idiots, I don’t-,” she stopped herself saying anymore before she turned around. “Look,” she started again, her calmness highlighting the change in subject, “even _if_ I managed to take out Nora, she’s not the main problem: her boss is.” Charlie shook her head. “The asshole’s got plans within plans and kidnapping a couple of humans is like child’s play to him.”

 

Ava scoffed. “You can’t seriously be telling us to do nothing, are you?”

 

“You don’t know him like I do! I will not help you all kill yourselves for something that will end up helping him!”

 

“Oh really,” Zari said as she raised her eyebrow, “because I seem to recall you owing me a favor.”

 

The demon looked confused. “When did I….” her eyes widened as she remembered the promise she made a month ago, “oh you cheeky-.”

 

Sara looked over at the now-smirking Zari. “Z, are you serious?”

 

“Yep,” the girl said proudly, “poor ‘ol Charlie almost got sent back to hell. Luckily I managed to save her. As a token of her appreciation, she said, and I quote:,” Zari spoke in a mocking voice, “‘I owe you a debt of gratitude!’ Isn’t that right?”

 

Charlie shook her head as she held up her hands. “Nonono! I am not-.”

 

“But you DID say that, didn’t you? And besides, don’t you have some code that prevents you from going back on your word?” The demon grumbled as the mortal walked closer to her. “Help us get our friends back, and we will be even.”

 

The demon groaned, but her eyes turned back to normal. “Fine...you're lucky that I find your overconfidence to be…,” she licked her lip, “ _unbelievably_ sexy.”

 

Sara made her way to the bar counter (all while giving Zari her trademark ‘well wasn’t that _interesting’_ look) and addressed the whole group. “Okay, now that that’s settled,” the girl pursed her lips, “I think there is something we need to discuss. I know that recent events may be,” she glanced over at Zari, “upsetting for you, but we can’t focus on that. So right now I want all of you to put all your feelings about Amaya and Anna into a box.” She mimed holding the box in her hands. “And then,” she made a closing motion, “I want you to shut the box. Understand?” The legends nodded silently. “Alright then, let’s get to work.”

 

“Before we do anything,” Charlie said quickly, “I need to make sure you guys are ready.” She held out her hands. “Everyone circle up.”

 

Mick grunted. “What? Are we singing kumbaya now?”

 

The demon rolled her eyes. “Just do it.” Slowly, the legends locked hands with one another until they were all connected. Charlie said a strange spell and the group felt a wave of energy and alertness flow through them. When it was done, the demon fell to the ground, growling in pain as smoke seemed to come from her body.

 

Mick reached down to help her up. “You okay, smoky?”

 

“I’m fine,” she groaned as she got to her feet, “the spell took more out of me than I thought it would.” Charlie took a few breaths before she continued. “That,” she explained, “was what I like to call the ‘prepare for battle’ cocktail. It’s a combination of a sobriety spell, rehydration spell and alertness spell. It also makes you wide awake and delays your fear response. I was gonna add the part where it completely shuts off your pain receptors and sends you into berserker-level rage, but I decided it was probably for the best to leave it out.” The demon did a curtsey. “You’re welcome.”

 

“Th-Thank you,” Sara said, surprised by the demon’s thoughtfulness. “Now, who is Nora Darhk?”

 

The demon shook her head. “That is a long story which we do not have time for right now.” She looked at the clock to see that it was 8:55. “I can explain on the way, but what we need are weapons.”

 

Ava responded immediately. “What kind of weapon kills something like that? Do we need, like, angel weapons or something?”

 

“Quite the opposite, in fact. We need human weapons. I’m talking knives, guns, the works. Does anyone know where we can get stuff like that?”

 

“Yeah,” said the bar owner, almost reluctantly, “I know where we can get some.” She turned to Gideon. “Gideon, close up the bar and see if you can work your magic on some of the broken furniture. The rest of you do what you need to do to get ready. Wheels up in my car in five minutes. We’ll pick up the gear on the way.”

 

The group split up, some grabbing coats and belongings, others (Mick) chose to go and use the bathroom. The demon prepared to move, but she felt a hand on her arm stopping her. “Charlie,” the demon turned to see that it was none other than Gideon, “Zari and I spoke about you. You seek her help to find redemption, is this true?”

 

“Yeah, I suppose that is one way to put it. Are you saying that I have you to thank for Zari accepting me?”

 

The mortal shook her head. “No, she made the choice herself. All I ask is to make sure everyone comes back safely.” The woman leaned closer. “Please,” she whispered, “these people are like family to me. They may not mean much to you, but I don’t know what I’d do if I lost them.”

 

“Gideon I-,” the demon stopped herself as she looked into the woman’s eyes. As she looked into her chocolate-colored eyes, she was reminded of her mother. Normally this would piss her off, but this time it strangely didn’t. This wasn’t a reminder of the mother that threw her out of heaven, this was the way mother was before earth, before the revolution. “I’ll try my best,” she relented, “but I make no guarantees. Who knows what Nora is doing with Ray and John right now.”

 

***(at the abandoned warehouse 9:10)

 

John laughed as Nora entered the storage room. “So tell me, love,” he said mockingly, “is your little pet sleeping comfortably?” The warlock felt something rush by his right ear and turned to see a knife lodged in the wooden box behind him, inches from his head. “So testy, this one.” Currently John Constantine was restrained to a wooden chair. His torso, hands, and ankles were all held to the chair by duct tape and the circle of warding around him prevented the use of magic which would aid in his escape. The room he was in was one of twelve storage-unit sized spaces that housed a number of abandoned boxes containing supplies. There was only exit the warlock could see and the wraith was standing directly between him and it.

 

“If I were you,” she sneered, “I would be shutting up before I start showing you how broad of a descriptor ‘alive’ is.”

 

John just smiled as he ignored the threat. “Nora Darhk….I still can’t believe it’s you.” He shook his head. “I mean, Charlie and I knew you were a possibility once we figured it out, but we didn’t actually think-.”

 

The wraith crossed her arms. “You thought wrong. And now I shall accomplish my mission.”

 

She turned to leave, but John stopped her. “How?”

 

The wraith paused. “Excuse me?”

 

“I’m curious. How exactly are you going to serve your master?”

 

Nora looked over her shoulder. “My goals are beyond your understanding, you pathetic piece of filth.”

 

Constantine shook his head. “Yeah, I don’t think so.” He smirked as he got her attention. “You see, originally Charlie and I were convinced that you were a demon, good job on that by the way, and we were looking for signs of demonic activity for about a month. Now you see, part of that was looking for any sign of demon communication. Do you know what we found when we looked for said demon communication? Nothing.”

 

“What is your point?”

 

“My point,” the warlock scoffed, “is that this isn’t his MO. Your boss is meticulous when he sends his agents to earth, always checking in so the plan is on course.” He stopped to think. “This feels….off.”

 

In the blink of an eye, Nora closed the twenty feet between them and stood inches away from the warlock’s face. Her face was one of pure rage which was only added upon by the glowing red eyes. “ **If you desire to keep your tongue** ,” she said in her distorted voice, “ **then shut up. By night’s end, my master shall walk the earth once more.** ”

 

The girl pulled the knife out of the box, but as she walked away John had one more thing to say. “You and I both know that your boss is the ultimate chess master, and not always in a good way. He may always have a plan, but he is more than willing to sacrifice pieces to achieve a larger goal.” The warlock swallowed before continuing. “If I were you, I’d start asking myself; ‘am I the knight taking the king, or the pawn making its first move towards certain death?’ Because something tells me you won’t like the answer.”

 

***

_Nora gripped the wearing edges of the bed. “Come on, Nora,” she told herself, “you can do this.” For the past three days, the damage done to her left the girl confined to bed, but now she was pissed. It wasn’t that she was pissed at the situation (the old woman had taken Nora to her house in the woods and had kindly, albeit sardonically, healed her), rather the anger was directed towards herself. The peasant was sick of being helpless and, after seeing the wound had healed the moment she first woke up, made it her mission to walk as soon as possible. She had tried the days before to no avail, but this time she was certain._

 

_The girl took a deep breath before applying energy to her limbs. Slowly, but surely she felt herself rise up. She closed her eyes to concentrate, and soon enough the girl found herself standing up. Her legs may have been a bit wobbly, but they were able to hold her. ‘I did it,’ she thought, ‘I can walk again.’_

 

_“Oh thank god,” the girl heard a voice say, “I don’t have to deal with your freeloading ass anymore.” Nora turned to see the old woman standing in the doorway of the log house. The woman had been rather odd to the peasant girl. She had insisted on not sharing her own name (she explained this as “if we know each other's name, I might care if you die, and I don’t want to care”). Additionally her appearance was odd too. She was as tall as the young girl and shared her complexion, but beyond that they were completely different. While Nora’s hair was black, hers was white as snow. The woman also seemed to possess a muscular frame not unlike the knights she had come to know. However, what stood out were her eyes. They had separate colors with the left being green and the right being red. While that was weird enough, sometimes Nora could swear she saw the colors flip sides when she blinked._

 

_The girl collected herself before speaking. “A thousand thanks to you madam.” She bowed before gathering up her belongings. “You have saved my life and I owe you my life. However, I do believe that it is my time to go. If you would be so kind as to give me direction, I’ll be on my way.”_

 

_“Perhaps,” the stranger said as smirked, “or, I could let you stay here.”_

 

_Nora chuckled nervously. “W-Why would you want me to stay? I thought you hated taking care of me.”_

 

_The woman sighed as she walked over to the far window. “After I healed your wound, and before you woke up, I was worried I had saved someone who didn’t deserve it, someone...weak. The girls of this era are not known for their ferocity and it struck me that you may succumb to wallowing in self pity. ” The woman reached out the window and picked a big, red apple from a nearby branch. “But you didn’t.” She took a bite of the apple. “As soon as you awoke, you were already searching for a way to stand on your own two feet. You,” she began walking towards Nora, “my dear, are strong. You have learned the hard way that beauty will not get you what you want,” the girl reached up and felt the many long, deep scars that now covered her face like cracked glass, “YOU must fight for it yourself.”_

 

_The peasant girl could hardly wrap her head around it. “So what are you offering me?”_

 

_“I am offering you a chance to stay here and teach you in the instrument of your healing,” she held out her hand a green flame danced above her palm, “magic.” Nora recoiled away from it but the stranger only chuckled. “My dear girl, I know what your priests say about these gifts. They claim we are evil, wicked, and beyond redemption. You are free to believe what you wish, but I ask you: is healing your wound evil?” The girl tried to argue against it, but could think of no words to dispute it. “You see, little one, much like the universe, magic is neither good nor evil. It is solely decided by those who wield it.” The witch closed her fist and the flame went out. “Should you choose to accept my offer, I will teach you what I know of the mystic arts. After some brief introductory training, though, I shall teach you what you wish, provided you have the strength and fortitude to learn it. If you desire to leave at any time, you are free to go and allowed to use that which I have taught you.”_

 

_Nora nervously swallowed. “And if I turn down this offer?”_

 

_“Then you may leave,” the woman said bluntly. “I will not stop you, and I will even guide you to the trail that will take you home. However, once you exit this house, that is it. I will not help you again, so you must deal with the new challenges you may face upon your return due to your disfigurement. But know this, I will make this offer only once.” The witch took another bite of her apple. “The choice is yours.”_

 

_The peasant looked to the door. While leaving was probably the smarter decision, she couldn’t help but think about Sir Percy. He had marred her body and what would happen to him?_

 

_Nothing._

 

_That could not stand. Nora would not allow his actions to go unpunished. She knew what she had to do. She wanted to learn enough good magic to help her village once she left, but also learn enough dark magic to make that knight pay for what he did._

 

_“I accept your offer.”_

 

_The door leading out of the house slammed shut. “Very well then,” the witch said as she stood up, “I suppose we should get started.”_

 

*** (Sara’s car 9:25)

 

All five legends sat in Sara’s Camry as she drove to her mystery-weapon-pick-up spot. Sara drove while Ava had shotgun, Zari had driver’s side window, Mick had passenger side window while Charlie was in the middle. “So,” Ava said awkwardly, “you said you’d tell us who Nora is on the way, so start talking.”

 

The demon sighed. “Nora Darhk is a wraith and is considered to be the daughter of the demon known as Damien Darhk.”

 

Zari, who had been previously having a sip of water, spit it out. “I’m sorry, are you telling me we are going up against something that is part demon?”

 

Charlie looked at her fondly. “Oh Zari, you constant remember of the annoyance that is heterosexuality, I don’t mean she’s actually his daughter, I said she’s _considered_ to be his daughter.”

 

“I’m sorry, what did you say about me and hetero-.”

 

“Celestials, such as myself and Damien, don’t think of relationships and familial ties the way you humans do. For example: every angel and demon still refer to each other as brother and sister. We may hate each other and none of us are actually related, but we use it as a way of recognizing those on the same level of ability.”

 

Sara seemed to understand. “Power recognizes power.”

 

“Exactly. Now with regards to sons and daughters, it’s more of a mentor thing. Nora is considered Damien’s daughter because he basically adopted her in hell and helped train her to become a killing machine. Granted, I did some of the training too, but Damien does what he wants. The title basically tells other demons to fuck off unless they want to deal with the person’s ‘parent.’”

 

Mick chuckled to himself. “That sounds like a sugar daddy to me.”

 

“Mick,” Ava said surprised, “I am genuinely amazed and horrified that you know what that is.”

 

“I mean…” Charlie shrugged, “he’s basically right.” There was a long pause of laughter. “In all honesty though, I’m not surprised he adopted her. Wraiths may be a bitch and a half to cultivate, but they kick ass. They can go anywhere, they basically have demon-enhanced magic, and their only weakness is olives! Goddamn fucking olives! I mean, sure, they vulnerable to some forms of warding, but come on!”

 

Zari looked at her oddly. “Why oliv-wait. Was that why Nora didn’t take that drink?”

 

“Ugh, fine! Yes! I spiked her drink with olive juice! Honestly though, she should apologize. I had to drink that stuff!”

 

Ava turned to face her. “Charlie, no one made you drink that stuff. Besides, you smashed her in the face with the glass!”

 

“So what? The adrenaline makes her eyes go full hellspawn on us. I needed to piss her off. Do you have a problem with that, Ava?”

 

“Did it not occur to you that maybe you should have just thrown the liquid in her face instead of hitting her?”

 

The demon pursed her lips. “That...umm...had not crossed my mind.”

 

Once again, there was another round of laughter at Charlie’s expense. However, this was quickly stopped by Sara. “We’re here.” As it turned out, _here_ was an industrial storage depot. The gray building stood only a story tall, but the space it covered made it seem huge. In front, there was only a small electronic door that seemed to house an office (at least, that was what the car’s occupants could see).

 

Sara pulled the car into the parking spot outside the storage depot’s office. “Ummm, Sara,” Zari said as she  looked at the rundown string of buildings, “where are we?”

 

Sara ignored that question as she opened up her door. “Follow me,” she said sternly, “and keep quiet. Let me do the talking.” The rest of the group got out of the car, and followed Sara inside.

 

Once they were in the building, they were able to identify more details than they could before. The whole room seemed to ripped out of an eighties businessman’s office. There was cheap light-brown wallpaper, three potted plants, and an honest-to-god sofa against one of the walls. However, instead of a desk, there was a counter which stretched the full width of the room. Behind it, sat an old, Asian woman. “Hello,” the woman said as though she were reading a script, “welcome to the 24-hour storage emporium. May I help you find your unit?”

 

Sara responded quickly. “Yes, I was hoping you could direct me to my unit? Number 215?”

 

The old woman shook her head. “I’m sorry my dear,” she said as she shook her head dismissively, “but you must be mistaken. That unit belongs to-.” Sara leaned in and whispered something to her. Suddenly, the old woman went stone-faced. “My apologies, I was unaware.” She looked over at the four confused legends before turning her attention back to Sara. “Are you sure you want to bring... _them?_ ”

 

“Without question.”

 

“Very well.” She pushed a button and the metal door on the legend’s side of the room unlocked. The old woman then handed Sara a key. “I trust you know where it is.” The bar owner took the key and proceeded to guide her friends into a long hallway that was full of storage units. After guiding them through the maze of corridors, Sara found the one she was looking for. After using the key to undo the lock, she opened up the door to reveal…

 

“Nothing,” Zari said, confused, “there’s nothing here.”

 

Sara rolled her eyes. “Not yet.” She then used the key to open up the fuse box next to the unit. However, instead of having wires, this only had an electronic number pad. After entering the code 1-9-6-8, the empty unit began to change. The floor parted and weapons caches emerged. After about five seconds, the whole compartment was turned into a full armory. The legends could only look, slack jawed, as they saw almost every type of weapon in the little storage unit. “Load up,” Sara said as she took the initiative to step in, “we don’t have much time.”

 

The group went to work collecting what they believed would be useful in the coming fight. Ava grabbed a few pistols, Sara grabbed a bo staff, Zari grabbed a shotgun and Carlie basically loaded herself up with as much firepower as she could carry. Mick, on the other hand, seemed to have a hard time deciding what he wanted. Like a kid in a candy store, he would pick up one thing, only to abandon it as soon as something else caught his eye. First, he picked up a pistol, then a machine gun, then a shotgun, and even, at one point, an actual minigun. However, as the group was getting to leave, Mick made an announcement. “This one.” He presented his new weapon (a pistol sized, orange and black device with a large barrel) to the group, completely unaware that they had no idea what it was. That quickly changed after he pushed a button on it and a small flame lit up at the firing end of the barrel. The legends’ eyes widened in horror (or joy, in the case of Charlie) as they realized what Mick held in his hand. _It was a handheld FLAMETHROWER._

 

“Oh fuck no,” Sara said decisively, “you do not need a flamethrower.”

 

“Excuse me?” The demon stepped between Sara and the pyro, a faux-shocked expression on her face. “Are you telling my good friend, Mick Rory, that he can not use the weapon of his choice in the coming battle?”

 

“What I am doing, is making sure someone who has had issues with pyromania does not get his hands on a handheld flamethrower!”

 

Charlie rolled her eyes. “Oh come now, Sara, I’m sure he has a good reason.” She turned to face Mick. “Don’t you?”

 

Mick shrugged. “Bitch is a witch. You burn witches.”

 

The demon turned back to Sara as she shrugged. “Seems reasonable to me.” When the bar owner just shook her head, Charlie continued. “Fine,” she said as she smirked, “we will give it back when you tell us why you are in possession of a fucking armory. I’m sure there is a reasonable explanation for that. Isn’t there, Ta-er al-Shafer?”

 

For a split second, Zari swore she saw Sara’s eyes widen. “It’s,” she gritted her teeth, “ _personal_.” After realizing that all eyes were now on her, she decided to relent. “Fine, Mick can keep his gun.” Sara then prepared to leave. “Let’s go, time’s wasting.”

 

As Mick thanked Charlie (deeply concerning Zari, as she did NOT need those two becoming besties), the hacker looked over at Sara. She almost looked shaken by what the demon had said to her. It was Arabic, Zari knew that much for certain. It had been many years since she had heard it, but she couldn’t forget it. While the group walked out of the storage depot, Zari brushed off the mental dust as her brain churned out a transition for what the demon had said.

 

‘Ta-er al-Shafer…..a..Canary?’

 

***

_It had been a few months since Nora began her tutelage with the old woman and by this point the seasons have changed from the bright harvest, to the cold winter. In that time, the peasant learned the basics of magic. Anna almost seemed proud of her progress._

 

_Anna…_

 

_The old woman never gave the child her name, but after days of questioning she had relented. “Fine,” she groaned, clearly eager to get back to the dinner she was eating at the time, “call me whatever you damn-well please, I don’t fucking care.” After going through some trial names, Nora decided to settle on Anna, a kind name for a kind woman. Or, at the very least, someone who was kind to her._

 

_Truth be told, when Nora first met Anna she only saw her as nihilistic, foul-mouthed alcoholic. However, as the classes went on, she began to see a new side of her. While she WAS all of those things she had mentioned before, she could also be really nice. She rewarded the girl’s successes, helped use her failures as stepping stones for improvement, and even began caring for her health beyond what was absolutely necessary. The peasant even began to notice the ends of Anna’s lips faintly turn up at the sight of her pupil mastering a new spell. Nora had never known her mother, but she imagined that her teacher came pretty close to what having one was like. While the old woman could be tough on the peasant, she was always fair, and what Nora wanted more than anything was for her approval._

 

_Which led to her current predicament._

 

_After months of tutelage, Nora was finally ready to choose the next spell she would learn. While there were many possibilities for her to choose from (illusion spells, conjuration spells, alteration spells, etc.), the peasant knew just what to choose. As they were eating their evening meal, Nora saw her master twirling a ball of green fire in her fingers. “Anna,” she asked politely, “may I inquire something about you?”_

 

_The old witch raised her eyebrow as the green fireball stood still above her palm. “That depends, what do you want to know?”_

 

_Nora licked her lips nervously. “I-ummm...I noticed that you use green fire spells a lot.” The girl shrugged. “I was just curious as to why that is.”_

 

_“I suppose that is a reasonable question,” she then put out the flame, “so I will oblige.” The witch waved her hand and the dishes began to clean themselves. “When I was young, I was told how I would die.” Suddenly, green flames danced to life and a visage of a woman on fire appeared on the table. “I would burn to death.”_

 

_As the green woman faded away, Nora spoke. “That’s terrible.”_

 

 _Anna nodded. “For a good part of my life, I lived in fear of fire.” She then started to smile. “But then a good friend of mine taught me to use that fear-to channel it into power.” The witch then summoned a fireball in her hand. “Now I use it as a reminder to myself that_ I _choose my fate._ I _can control that which shall be the instrument of my own demise.”_

 

_The peasant swallowed to soothe her dry throat. “C-could you teach me?”_

 

 _“I beg your pardon?” The witch raised an eyebrow at her. “Are you sure you want me to teach you_ this _? Wouldn’t you rather learn how to...I don’t know, turn steel into gold?”_

 

_While that did sound tempting, Nora was undeterred. “It’s your favorite spell, isn’t it?” The witch nodded, still very clearly confused. “Well…” the girl was unsure as to how to phrase her thoughts, “I want something to remember you by. One day I am going to have to make it on my own and if I know that spell I can use to remember the time I spent here.” Nora shook her head. “It sounds childish, I know, but-.”_

 

_“No,” Anna stopped her, a smile crept up on her face, “I’m...actually flattered. If that is what you wish to learn, I would be more than happy to oblige.” Nora looked overjoyed and was about to get out of her chair before the witch stopped her. “Hey, what did we saw about hugging?” The girl rested back in her seat, still smirking. “Besides, I think you should get to bed. We have a long day ahead and you will want to be well rested.”_

 

_“Very well” Nora said as she got up and walked to her bed, “I’ll see you in the morning, Anna.”_

 

_As Nora slept, however, she was unaware of the fact that she was being watched by none other than Anna. The witch regarded the sleeping woman. Recently (and despite her best efforts), she had begun to feel a sort of kinship with the small peasant girl. ‘This is ridiculous,’ the witch thought, ‘I have known a thousand like her, why is she any different?’ As she debated with herself, Nora began tossing and turning in her bed. ‘Another nightmare,’ she thought to herself. While a part of her told the witch to stop caring, she couldn’t help herself. The witch unfurled black wings and her eyes turned to their demonic red-black color as she used her powers to bring the mortal sweet dreams. “Sleep well, little one,” the demon leaned down and gently pet the girl’s hair, “tomorrow we begin.”_

 

***(Heywood technologies warehouse 9:45)

 

Nora gazed into the green fireball that lay in her hand. It still amazed her, the fact that she was in possession of over one thousand years worth of memories. She knew that as humans got older their memory weakened, but that wasn’t the case for her. While it was harder to remember some of her more monotonous memories, she could recall all the important events of her life like they had occurred yesterday. While having the sheer volume of memories could (and have) driven some wraiths to insanity, there was one memory she kept returning to that helped her stay sane.

 

‘Anna…’

 

The memory of her former teacher always acted as a sauve to the burning, almost painful anger that was inside her. Despite the fact that her teachings ultimately led to her present condition, the wraith always held Anna in high regard. She was the kindest person Nora had ever known, and always served a reminder to keep her humanity alive. Oftentimes she would ignite a fireball in her hands and ask herself ‘what would Anna do?’

 

This was one of those times.

 

“Oi, love,” John said in his chair, “are you going to keep with the Disney-villain shit or are you going to let me out?”

 

The wraith chuckled. “I thought about what you said,” she smirked, “the whole ‘plan-within-plan’ thing...and it led me to a realization.”

 

“What? Is it that you are being a massive cu-.”

 

“Do you know of the blood moon prophecy?” The warlock’s eyes widened, much to Nora’s delight. “Tonight it rises and with it my father shall return.”

 

John became concerned. “So why are you telling me this? Shouldn’t you keep your big plan to yourself?”

 

“Oh sweet, naive warlock,” Nora kneeled down until she was at eye level with him, “you ARE my plan. You see, I was supposed to challenge Charlie tonight by myself. However, now that I have you,” her hand ignited in an emerald fireball, “maybe we should test to see how good you are at killing demons.” The wraith leaned in and only John’s screams could be heard as she began her work.

 

***(Sara’s car 9:48)

 

“So,” Ava said with curiosity in her voice, “how exactly are human weapons going to take down a hellspawn like Nora?”

 

Charlie inspected the pistol in her hand as she talked. “Wraiths are...complicated. They may have all the shit that I talked about before, but at their core they are still,” the demon licked her lips nervously, “human. While a lot of them may use magic to try and hide it, all wraiths still have all the human weaknesses: weapons, falling, bleeding.”

 

“If it bleeds,” Mick said stoically, “it can be killed.”

 

“Basically, yeah,” Charlie explained. “If enough damage is done to the vessel, the wraith can ‘die’ and get sent back to hell. Granted, they can be real tough sons-of-bitches when it comes to taking them down, but sooner or later they’ll die.”

 

It was then that Sara asked an uncomfortable question. “There’s something else, Charlie. What did you mean when you said that she was human?”

 

Charlie sighed as she reluctantly answered. “Yes….that. You need to understand, all wraiths, no matter how terrifying or insane they may be, were _all_ human once. For instance; Nora was born around the turn of the tenth century, but during her life she was conditioned so that when she died, she would become a wraith.”

 

There was a silence before the driver spoke again. “So underneath all that….”

 

Charlie finished it. “Is a human woman. I may have helped train her, but that didn’t change what she was.”

 

The car stopped in the unkempt parking lot of the Heywood Technologies building. It was an old, grey, metal warehouse that looked to be as tall as a shipping barge, but a quarter as long. Near the point where the front wall met the roof there was the HT logo in faded black ink. Sara announced their arrival and the group got out of the car. As they prepared their gear the bar owner asked Charlie. “So, what is the plan?”

 

“Well,” Charlie checked her phone, “we have about ten minutes until the deadline. Now, while I would love to kick Nora’s ass myself, I think we should avoid it if at all possible. Instead, I think we should just get to Ray and John.”

 

“So that’s it,” Zari asked, “we’re just going to be a rescue mission?”

 

“Makes sense,” Sara said begrudgingly, “An-Nora seemed to be on a time crunch. Taking away her leverage means getting rid of any power she has in this situation.”

 

Charlie nodded. “Plus, if nothing else, we should rescue John. Having him back on the playing field gives us a better chance of beating Nora if encounter her.”

 

“Well then,” Ava said, “how exactly do we find them, then?”

 

Mick then decided to join in. “Yeah, are you gonna use your demon senses to sniff him out or something?”

 

An idea seemed to light up the demon’s features. “Right idea, but it won’t be my senses we’ll use.” She took a deep breath and used two fingers to whistle loudly into the air. Immediately it looked as though a fiery crack in reality appeared before them. “It’ll be his.”

 

The crack opened and a warm light glowed as Dante stepped through. The hellhound was in his corgi form and seemed to be holding something in his mouth. The portal closed behind him and Sara gawked in surprise. “Please,” she begged, “tell me that’s not-.”

 

Zari answered jadedly. “Yep, it’s a hellhound. His name is Dante”

 

The demon smiled as she leaned down to pet her beast. The dog made a soft noise and she turned to the unamused hacker. “Awwww, Z,” Charlie said as Dante made his way over to Zari, “it has something for you.”

 

The corgi strolled up to Zari and let go of the object in his mouth so he could present it at her feet. “Carlie,” the girl said in a voice that was clearly trying to mask internal screaming, “is…..is that a human hand?”

 

The demon got a closer look. “It would appear so, yes.”

 

“Why...who...where did it come from?”

 

“Z,” the demon said as she picked up the adorable eldritch horror, “are you sure you really want the answer to that?”

 

After making the (wise) decision not to question how a human hand came into the dog’s possession, Charlie began conversing with the hellhound. After explaining the situation to it (which, to the mortals that were present, was a one-sided conversation), the demon announced that the hellhound would happily aid in their efforts. The group then descended into the warehouse in search of their stolen friends.

 

***

_Nora closed her eyes and imagined the flame. She felt the heat at her fingertips, her feelings igniting the blaze. The peasant recited the incantation and could feel herself letting the flame loose._

 

_But when she opened her eyes, there was nothing._

 

_She growled in rage as she returned to sit by the fire. “What is it,” Anna asked sarcastically, “that fire spell still being a pain in the ass?”_

 

_Nora shook her head. “I don’t get it,” she grumbled, “I’ve followed every one of your instructions, done everything perfectly, but I still can’t create a fireball!”_

 

_Anna looked into the campfire serenely. “I think I may know what the problem is.” The two had set up a small camp in the woods to help Nora learn the spell. Their accommodations were modest, but their magical origins meant that they provided more comfort than would be expected. However, after spending a week and a half in the woods, she was no closer than when she started._

 

_“What is it,” the younger girl asked, “is it my technique, the incantation?”_

 

_The witch shook her head. “Oh, little one,” she said sympathetically, “I’m afraid it is just who you are.”_

 

_“I don’t understand.”_

 

 _“Allow me to explain, then.” Anna added more wood to keep the campfire burning. “Magic is a…_ fickle... _thing. While every thinking creature is capable of all forms of magic, within everyone there exists an aptitude for a specific type.”_

 

_“So, some people are just naturally better at different forms of magic than others?”_

 

_The witch smiled proudly at her pupil. “I don’t think I could have put it better myself.”_

 

_As Nora started to understand, she continued. “So a fire magician would be able to do more powerful fire magic than a non-fire magician?” When her teacher nodded, she pressed for more detail. “Is that what you are, then? Are you a fire magician?”_

 

 _The older woman seemed amused by this and chuckled as she tended the fire. “Oh no,” she smiled, “I’m afraid you have the wrong idea. My aptitude is a little more unique.” She turned to face Nora with a smirk._ “Mine,” _She said,_ “is the gift of the mind.”

 

_Nora recoiled away from the old woman in shock. She had heard her teacher’s voice, but did not see her move her mouth. It was as though Anna’s words were being spoken in her mind. “Wh-what was that?”_

 

_The old woman shrugged. “I guess you could call it my ‘power.’ I was born with the ability to magically control, influence and even read the mind of any creature.”_

 

_Nora hesitantly returned to the log she was sitting on. “That’s amazing,” she said, “but what does that have to do with me?”_

 

_“You see, little one, while every creature possesses a natural inclination to one type of magic, we also possess an aversion to another type.” The witch held up a finger and a small flame lit up above it. “The type of magic I use to create my emerald flame is fueled by my negativity: my fear, my loneliness, my rage. While this may come as a disappointment to you, the simple fact is that you do not possess enough anger to use the spell.”_

 

_Nora turned away from her teacher. The young girl looked as though she were about to cry. “I’m...sorry. I-.”_

 

_“It’s nothing to be ashamed of,” Anna told her softly. “You are a good person, Nora. I’m not surprised that darkness does not come naturally to you.” The witch caught herself unconsciously reaching out to comfort Nora, but pulled back before she could notice. ‘What was that,’ the old woman wondered._

 

_“Please,” Nora said desperately, “show me how to use my rage. I want to be like you!”_

 

 _While every part of her told Anna to call it quits, something in the mortal’s voice pulled on the hidden demon’s feelings. It was as though she..._ **_cared_ ** _...about what Nora wanted. “Fine,” Anna relented as she stood up, “I will give you one more chance. I’ll guide you through it, but you can’t do it then that’s it. Understood?”_

 

_Nora shot up. “I understand. Thank you so much!” She and Anna moved over to the small clearing next to their camp and Nora closed her eyes as her teacher began her instruction._

 

_“Breathe, little one, breathe. Remember the suffering you have faced in your life.”_

 

_Nora remembered the village where she lived. The people there were sick, starving, and dying but the king only gave a damn when it interfered with his precious meals._

 

_“Remember the loneliness in your life and the pain of isolation.”_

 

_Nora remembered her parents. They had both died when she was five years old from disease. The girl then remembered the burial; feeling the dirt and mud in her fingers as she forced to dig their graves with her bare hands._

 

_“Think about those who have hurt you. Remember the rage you felt in those moments.”_

 

_Nora thought about Sir Percy: the man who tried to kill her. She imagined taking his knife and using it to mar his body as he did to her before stabbing him. Nora relished in the hatred._

 

_“Let the pain race through your mind. Feel it as it’s crushing you, wrecking you, shattering your soul into a million little pieces.”_

 

_Nora felt the perfect storm of emotions brew within her. She felt her sadness fuel her loneliness, loneliness fueled fear, fear fueled anger, anger fueled regret, and regret fueled her sadness. It was a fire that was as volatile as it was potent, and frighteningly self-sustaining._

 

_“Feel the negativity flow within you, pulling you in every direction. Accept it. Accept that you lack control over it and surrender to it. Feel it just below the skin waiting to be released.”_

 

_The girl felt the energy within her, but this time she did not try and force the flame to come. Instead, she simply allowed the energy to build up, to flood her senses._

 

_“Now, bring the fire.”_

 

_Nora spoke the enchantment and opened her eyes to see that, in her hand, there mow was an emerald flame. “I did it,” she said, almost giddy with excitement, “I really did it!” She closed her hand to put out the flame before igniting it again to practice with the new spell. This time, it came to her like any other spell. The little witch jumped up and down with joy before turning to her teacher. “Anna! I did it!”_

 

_The old woman nodded approvingly. “Well done, little one. Now, let’s-.” Before she could say another word, Nora rushed over and gave her a big hug. “Child,” Anna said, struggling to remove herself from the girl’s grasp, “what did we say about hugging.”_

 

_“Oh, Anna,” the girl said while laughing, “I’m afraid I am a bit too happy to care.”_

 

_As the mortal held Anna in her embrace, unaware of her true nature, the demon began to feel...different. She felt an unfamiliar warmth in her chest, not from temperature, but from emotion. The demon felt...good...safe...hell, even happy. This was disconcerting, as feelings such as those were foreign concepts to a demon. Thinking that this may be some psychic feedback, Anna used her multi-colored eyes to peer into the mortal’s mind once more. However, this time there were no nightmares, no evil thoughts of any kind._

 

_Instead, there was only love. Not romantic love, but the feeling of pure and unconditional love for another. The demon trembled as the waves of positive emotions hit her like a psychic train. Anna had never known that humans could feel this way for someone, and the fact that those feelings were for her, a demon, made Anna feel honored._

 

_On that day, the demon knew that this girl-this mortal, would be the best friend she would ever have._

 

***(Heywood Technologies warehouse 9:55)

 

“So,” Mick whispered to the demon, “what’s the afterlife like?”

 

“Mick!” Sara whispered/yelled, “is now REALLY the best time for this?” The group had made their way into the warehouse and was now following Dante’s direction to John Constantine. As they moved down the dark hallway in a single-file line (Dante, Charlie, Zari, Mick, Sara, Ava), they tried to make as little noise as possible.

 

“Well if we are all going to die tonight, I at least want to know who was right.”

 

Charlie held up her hand in a ‘quiet’ signal. “Guys, shut up. We’re here.” The demon opened the small, metal door and walked through into the large empty room. It was easily 3/4ths the size of a football field, and had windows up on the upper-right side. The room also seemed to have a large, circular hole in the ceiling which allowed moonlight to flood the room. In the middle of this circle, though, was John Constantine, tied to a chair, unconscious and looking rather worse for wear.

 

The group rushed to the warlock’s side and tried to undo his bindings. There were cuts and odd symbols carved all over his body. As they were untying him, the warlock started to wake up and tried to speak. “Get...away…”

 

Charlie looked at him, confused. “It’s okay, John. We’re here to get you out.”

 

“T-.....trap.”

 

Suddenly the humans were thrown away from the warlock. It was as though a bomb went off that sent the legends flying into the air. However, once they were out of the moonlight, they stopped falling and started floating suspended in the air. The only ones left in the circle were the warlock and the demon. The demon tried to run to Zari but found that she couldn’t leave the circle of moonlight. Charlie looked down at the floor. It was a devil trap.

 

“Oh, Charlie,” a voice said mockingly, “I know that John managed to get you with this once, but falling for it twice in the span of a month? That’s just sad.” There was a click of a light switch and suddenly the whole room was lit up. At the other end of the room was Nora Darhk, standing with her arms crossed.

 

The demon turned to her untrapped hellhound. “Dante,” she yelled, “bring her down.” Charlie then pulled out a gun and started firing at the demon.

 

While the hellhound was growing to his true size, the wraith just smiled. “Oh John, take care of that for me.” As if controlled by a puppet master, the warlock broke out of the chair. Then, when the hellhound began to lounge at Nora, the warlock held up a hand and teleported it away. As for the bullets, they were completely ineffective. Nora simply held out her hand and the bullets stopped mid-air. She then snapped her fingers and Charlie’s whole supply vaporized.

 

The demon stood there wide eyed and shocked. “What the fuck did you do to my dog?”

 

Nora smirked evilly. “If I were you, I’d be less concerned about your pet and more concerned about John.” As if on cue, the warlock turned around robotically and faced the demon. “You see,” she explained, “I have imbued our good friend Constantine with an attack dog spell. Right now he is gearing up to do one thing and one thing only; take his knife and stab you with it.”

 

The demon laughed. “THAT’S your plan? Exactly what do you think will happen when he stabs me with some pathetic human knife?”

 

The wraith cocked her head to the side like a bird. “Who said anything about a normal knife?” Slowly, the warlock reached into his coat and pulled out a large, silver knife. It had a simplistic design with a foot-long blade, but had a three-edge design. At the sight of it, Charlie backed up. “That’s right,” Nora said, “it’s a celestial blade. One good stab from that and you’re dead, isn’t that right?”

 

“So that’s it,” Zari yelled at Nora, “this is all some overly elaborate murder thing?”

 

The demon joined in. “Yeah, this CAN’T be it.”

 

This time, it was Nora’s turn to laugh. “You really have no idea what tonight is, do you?” A small wristwatch on Nora’s arm started to beep. “It’s time.” The wraith continued to chuckle like a hyena as looked to her floating friends. “I would take it in if I were you.” The wraith looked up at the moon. “It only occurs every 500 years, and I dare say that it is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen.”

 

The rest of the group looked up to the moon as it began to change. The light from it began to grow dimmer-no, **darker**. The color of the moonlight changed from white to pink, to red, and finally….

 

 **Blood red**.

 

Charlie’s eyes widened as she realized exactly what the plan was. “Tell me, Charlie,” Nora asked, “do you remember the Blood Moon prophecy?” The wraith smirked. “Well let me remind you. It is foretold that when a mortal kills an angel in the light of the blood moon, the doors to Damien Darhk’s prison shall open and he shall walk the earth once more.” All silliness went away as the wraith gave Charlie a death stare. “One thousand years ago you helped the humans imprison my father in the astral plane. Now, with your death he shall return.” Nora snapped her fingers and the floating legends vanished. “I knew the gang would come, and I am grateful to you for bringing them here to see the beginning of a new world. However, I am afraid you will not live to see it.” She turned to the bewitched warlock. “John, sic ‘em.”

 

With a snap of her fingers Nora disappeared. Now Charlie was trapped in a magically-induced cage match with an uncontrollably homicidal warlock with one of the few weapons that could kill her. As said warlock began charging at her, the demon only sighed.

 

“Well fuck my life then.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yes, Damien Darhk is the ‘big bad demon’ that everyone hates. I basically put I’m in Mallus’s role because A: I actually liked the character (Neil McDonough was HILARIOUS as a super villain) B: Mallus was kinda lacking any real characteristics and C: because Damien Darhk is a BADASS demon name.  
> I can’t wait for you all to see how this all plays out next chapter; both with the present day and the flashbacks.  
> See you all next time!  
> PS: if any of you can guess who ‘Anna’ is before the next chapter, you get a gold star


	8. Nora (part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trapped in two dangerous situations, can the legends find a way to defend Nora? Or is it too late to prevent Armageddon?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooooo...I honestly have no excuse for this one. I’m sorry it took so long to get out. While I could say that I had limited access to technology (and I did), the truth is I kinda dropped the ball. You guys deserve better. I have more comments at the end, but I just want to thank you for being patient. There is a light TW for mentioning suicide (for little bit though), but there is a larger TW for violence.  
> As usual, I hope you enjoy. Please feel free to leave comments, kudos, and constructive criticism.
> 
> I do not own legends of tomorrow, but I wish they would come back before January.

Zari opened her eyes to find herself in a large, well-lit room. The hacker looked down at herself to thankfully find that she was in one piece. It had been disconcerting, having her body instantly move from one point to another. The experience hadn’t been _painful_ , per say...it was just different. While traveling through the portal Constantine had made felt akin to walking, teleporting felt more like exploding. In an instant, Zari felt the very atoms in her body jettison to the opposite ends of the universe. Then, just as quickly, she felt herself condense until she reformed in the room she was currently in.

 

‘Oh shit,’ she thought, ‘what if this area had been... _occupied_?’

 

Ignoring the thoughts about possibilities of accidental impalement and ‘teleporting into a wall’ scenario, Zari began to look around the room. It was about the size of her living room and (surprisingly) well renovated. The space had carpeting, working electrical lights, and extremely high-end furniture. If she wasn’t so horrified by the reason that she was teleported here, the hacker would be genuinely amazed. If the very few hours of home remodeling shows (her mom controlled the TV when she had sick days as a kid) she had seen were any indication, work like this took a full crew WEEKS to complete. If Nora managed to do it in the same time by herself, well, Zari couldn’t help but be a bit impressed. If it weren’t for the huge floor-to-ceiling window that gave her a pretty good view of the parking lot, the hacker wouldn’t have even known she was in the same building.

 

Suddenly, one-by-one, the rest of the legends teleported into the room with a BAMF. First it was Sara (who immediately stumbled the sofa and started mumbling about a headache), then Ava (she seemed to just have a blank, horrified stare), and finally: Mick (who promptly ran to the nearest trash can and puked his guts out).

 

Sara was the first to speak. “What the hell was that, and why do my insides feel like gravel?”

 

“That,” Zari said plainly, “was teleporting.”

 

Ava managed to come out of her petrified state to groan. “Oh, teleportation, I see. Is that all? Well I’m glad we are ALL BEING SO FREAKING BLASIE ABOUT TELEPORTATION!”

 

“At least we are all still alive.”

 

“Oh don’t you start miss ‘let’s-not-tell-my-friends-that-Amaya-is-now-a-demon’!”

 

The pyro groaned. “I swear, if I see that-,” his eyes bulged as he threw up into the trash can once more.

 

The hacker made her way over. “There, there buddy,” she patted his back, “just let it all out.”

 

Suddenly there was another BAMF and the group turned to see none other than Nora standing by the window. “Hey, guys,” she said sheepishly, “c-can we talk?”

 

***

_Anna and Nora trudged through the foliage as they walked in the forest. While it had been twilight when the two witches left the cabin, the half-hour since then saw them journeying in the dead of night (luckily, Anna happened to have the foresight to bring torches). They had gone out under Anna’s guise of testing her student’s spell proficiency, but after doing nothing but move plants out of their path Nora was starting to get suspicious._

 

_“I don’t understand,” the trainee said, “why don’t we just make our own pathway?” She held out her hand to conjure up green fire. “Wouldn’t it be so much easier?”_

 

_The older woman chuckled as she held out her hand. “Oh child,” she said softly, “it would seem I have done you a disservice.”_

 

_Nora’s fire dimmed until it died in her palm. “Whatever do you mean?”_

 

_“I have failed to properly educate you on the workings of the natural world.” The witch ran her fingers along the bark of a tree that was but mere inches away from her. “Tell me,” she asked, “when you look around, what do you see?”_

 

_“Trees...grass...I’m sorry. I don’t understand.”_

 

_“Oh Nora,” Anna caressed the younger girl’s cheek, “while you are correct, the answer I was looking for was...life.” When Nora didn’t seem to understand, she continued. “You see, everything around us, the trees, grass, shrubbery, it’s ALL alive.”_

 

_“How can that be? They are just plants.”_

 

_“To you, they are inanimate,” the witch shrugged, “and to them, you are a fleshbag with legs. Trust me, my dear, they are just as alive as you or me. Their reach almost covers the whole of the earth’s landmass, and what one sees, they ALL see.”_

 

_“How is such a thing possible?”_

 

_“It is their shared mind,” Anna closed her eyes as she held an ear to the tree bark. “There have been many names for it, but I believe it prefers ‘The Green.’”_

 

_Nora sat down on a nearby log. “So I shouldn’t make a path because it might piss off the plants?”_

 

_“Oh dear lord no. If I’m going to leave you with one lesson it is to make sure you always get what you want. Now, despite the mundane topic, it is still what I am teaching you. The witch leaned close and whispered something to the tree. The young girl then jumped as the sound of cracking branches soon filled the air. “You see, the Green may be a bit temperamental at times, but if you respect it, if you help it grow…I’m sure you will find them to be reciprocal in their actions.” Nora turned to see a small branch growing out of a nearby tree to her left. The branch grew like nothing she had ever seen and within the span of a few seconds the branch hung over the mortal’s lap. Suddenly, something then began to grow on the branch just as quickly as the branch had. It was soon revealed to be an apple which, upon achieving ripeness, fell into her lap. “After all,” her teacher pointed out, “the green is very helpful to its friends.”_

 

_Nora bit into the apple, almost moaning from how perfect the taste was. “Oh Anna, how is it that after teaching me so much, that you always manage to amaze me._

 

_The old woman smiled. It had been Five years since she had welcomed the girl into her home, and in that time the two had only grown closer. While the teacher/student dynamic still existed, there was also an unspoken sense of equality between the two. Each respected the other and grew to value each other’s presence. By the end of the third year together, the two had almost completely forgotten the hostility they once held for each other, and by the end of the fourth year, Nora and Anna finally admitted to each other that they were “friends”._

 

_In reality though, their bond had grown much stronger than that._

 

_In the time they spent together, Nora began to accept her teacher as the mother she never had. Anna, on the other hand, began to see her not only as a daughter but as a second chance. This mortal had become the one thing she valued more than herself and they gave her hope that with this new name and life, the demon could make up for her past._

 

_The teacher smiled as she thought of her silly dream. “Come on,” she said, “I'll guide you the rest of the way.”_

 

_After walking for another half hour, the pair found themselves in a familiar location. “Is this… My old house?”_

 

_“Follow.” The old woman let her around the house to our spot she knew all too well. “This is where are you buried your parents, is it not?”_

 

_“It is. Why have you brought me here?”_

 

_“Watch.” Anna kneel down and use the small tool to make a little hole in each of the two graves. She then pulled out two odd-looking seeds. After whispering something to them, the witch placed and buried the seeds into the two new holes. After 10 anti-climactic seconds, Nora began to feel the ground rumple as two giant trees spontaneously grew where the seas once were. Young girl watched as the trees grew and join together to create an arch that was beyond beautiful. “You… Remembered?” Confused, the mortal looked to her teacher._

 

_“Of course I did.” Anna turned to smile at her. “After all, it’s not every day that your favorite student celebrate the anniversary of their birth.”_

 

_“Thank you.”_

 

_The young girl rest forward and wrap the demon in a warm in brace. While Anna froze at first contact, she soon relented into it instead of pushing away like she had many times before. “I tried to think of the perfect gift when it occurred to me: I should give something that matters to you! So I decided I would turn the spot of misery and death into one of love and life.”_

 

_Nora backed away from the hug and look at the trees once more, a small tear began to run down her face. “It’s so beautiful.” Sadly she started shaking her head. “Oh no, we need to go. Having two trees spontaneously grow to full size is going to get the villages’s attention.”_

 

_Anna just chuckled. “Not tonight, I learned that there was a festival or something going on that the local lord demanded everyone attend.“_

 

_“What are you talking about? There are no festivals this time of year.”_

 

_“According to what I heard, everyone is gathering at King Herod‘s palace,” Anna snapped her fingers and a portal appeared, “want to go see?”_

 

_Nora rolled her eyes. “You’re telling me that we could’ve just open a portal instead of walking for an hour?”_

 

_“Some say that the adventure lies in the journey, not the destination. And besides, you got a good apple out of it, didn’t you?” The two shared a laugh before assuming their glamour and walking through the portal. The pair soon found themselves in front of a large window, and when they look through Anna knew exactly where they were. “Good God it’s a wedding! You know, I’ve never actually been invited to a wedding, but they look fun! There is partying, debauchery, intimacy-.”_

 

_“It’s him.”_

 

_“Who?”_

 

_“Sir Percy, it’s his wedding.”_

 

_Anna looked closer to see the infamous night sitting in the middle of the main table next to (what the older woman assumed to be) his wife: a raven-haired beauty. The demon could only guess how much seeing her attempted murder marrying someone who shared so many characteristics with her what affect the poor mortal, so she decided to act. “Hey, I think this was a mistake. Maybe we should-.”_

 

_“She’s scared of him.”_

 

_Anna was taken back. “What?”_

 

_The girl kept staring through the window, a dark look beginning to settle into to her features. “Every time his hand or arm comes near her, she freezes like hunted beast.” Nora shook her head. “Some part of me hoped that would happen to me was a one time occurrence for him. Hell, I’ve even flirting with the idea for giving him since his actions led me to you.“ The comment made the demon on my smile despite herself. “But if he makes the woman he’s married to afraid of him…”_

 

_The demon spoke hesitantly. “What are you saying?”_

 

_Unseen to the demon and unnoticed by the mortal, Nora’s eyes quickly pulsed with a soft, red light: a small indicator of the rage growing within her. “I can’t let him, Anna, I can’t let him hurt anyone else.”_

 

_The model turned in and I could see the pain in her face. “Nora, I need you to think this through now. I have lived a very long life, and have seen people just like you in this exact situation. Take it from experience that going down this dark path… It changes you. So I-.” Anna was going to say that she would refuse to be a part of it, but her will crumbled as she looked into the mortal’s eyes. “I… I need to make sure you are ready. Nora are you absolutely certain this is what you want? Because if you have even a shred of doubt-.”_

 

_“Absolutely,” Nora replied, “that knight deserves to die.”_

 

***

Mick began to rush forward at the witch with rage in his eyes. Charlie’s spell was clearly working as Sara, Ava and Zari couldn’t find a single ounce of hesitation in his movements. The pyro lunged forward, but as soon as he got within a few inches, Nora teleported away.

 

Just as quickly, the wraith re-materialized by the hacker’s side. “Look, I-.” Nora quickly realized where she was and backed a few feet away to give the distressed mortal some distance. “Sorry...I just want to say that I understand your distrust. Lord knows I wouldn’t after what you have seen.”

 

“Where’s haircut?”

 

“He’s okay. Making sure of his safety was the first thing I did.”

 

Zari scoffed. “Do you really expect us to-?”

 

“Zari,” Sara stopped her, “let her... _explain_ herself.”

 

The hacker would have called her crazy, but then she recognized the cold, balanced tone Sara was using. Zari looked over and slightly smirked. The bar owner’s face showed now emotion; no doubt, no fear, no joy. Everyone in the group knew it well and had lost many a poker night to it. All of these left Zari with one simple realization: Sara had a plan. “Alright,” she said, trying to sound as hesitant as she could, “whatever you say, Sara.”

 

Despite the smile that pulled on the edge of her lips, Nora still looked as nervous as an only child whose parents just asked where the last cookie  went. “Y-you really mean it?” Zari nodded as the wraith’s eyes darted between the humans. “Oh thank god, there’s still time.”

 

Ava shook her head. “Time for what?”

 

“Please, sit. We have a lot to discuss.” The humans all looked at each other before sitting down on the (admittedly very comfortable) couch. While Zari tried to sit normally, she couldn’t help but feel Sara’s hidden knife pouch dig into her side. “Now,” Nora began, “I know it may seem far fetched, given what you have seen me do, but I was once-.”

 

“Human? Yeah, Charlie told us on the way here.”

 

“Oh, she did now? So you guys know what she is then?” The group nodded. “Well then, I’m sorry you had to find out that way Z.”

 

“I already knew, Nora.”

 

The wraith looked dumbfounded. “You…what? I don’t understand.”

 

Zari looked over to her friends. “They didn’t know, just me. I knew about her since she first arrived.”

 

“And so you all decided to blindly follow her into battle? After she **lied** to you for a month?”

 

Mick started laughing. “Follow her? She didn’t give two shits until geek squad batted her eyes at her.”

 

“Excuse me?”

 

Sara rolled her eyes. “We came because we wanted to get Ray and John back. The demon was...hesitant to come, but Zari managed to convince her.”

 

“Well then, Zari, I think I underestimated you. Who would have guessed that a lowly mortal would manage to put the infamous ‘Mother of Sadomasochism’ on a leash?”

 

“Oh relax, she just owed me a favor.” Zari rolled her eyes. “Can we get back to the point please?”

 

Nora shook her head. “Right, back to business.” Licking her lips, she paced in front of the sitting humans. “As you know, I was once a human like you. I was sent here to perform a ritual that would allow my father to enter the physical world.”

 

“At the cost of my new roommate's life?”

 

“I was supposed to kill you all as well,” the raven haired girl countered, “but I...had a change of heart.” She took a deep breath. “I wasn’t lying when I said that I considered you to be my friends. In fact, being your friend is the most human I have felt in a very long time.” Nora snapped her fingers and a brown metal folding chair appeared behind her. The wraith continued as she sat down. “I just want you all to know that this….it doesn’t change who I am. I’m still the same girl that Ray met, and the same person you all hung out with. Hell, part of me was hesitant to even do this, knowing what could happen to you guys.”

 

Zari suddenly remembered the conversation she had with the wraith earlier that evening. “The new option…”

 

Nora smiled. “I’m glad you brought that up actually, because it leads to my point. My father is going to be coming any time now. When he does, he’s going to need people he can trust.”

 

Sara scoffed. “You can’t be serious.”

 

“I am.” Nora stood before them as her eyes began to turn red. “My dear friends,” she said, “I want you to join me.”

 

***

Charlie leapt back as she dodged another one of John’s swipes. As the blood-red moonbeams shined down upon the demon and the warlock, Charlie’s mind started racing. While her normal celestial enhancements were weakened by the devil trap, the demon wasn’t worried about getting stabbed. As if so happened, Charlie was one of the few celestials that had paid any mind to the skills of hand-to-hand combat. Many of her siblings viewed it as beneath them, relying almost solely on magic and their special abilities. Charlie, on the other hand, was not as gifted. And after the incident with Damien, well, that option was taken off the table almost entirely.

 

So she trained. Try as he might, John would never stab her. For how could he possibly complete with someone with a thousand years of experience and skill?

 

However, therein lay the problem.

 

Charlie knew the spell that was cast on him: the rabid dog incantation. It was a spell designed to send the victim into an uncontrollable rage until they completed a single task. However, that kind of rage has consequences. While the spell would perpetuate his anger, his body would suffer until he completed the task. By Charlie’s estimates, John had about one minute until his heart exploded. Now, while she could simply let him die, Charlie knew better. It wasn’t because she had grown fond of him in the month they spent together, or because Zari would be pissed that she let one of her friends be killed. No, this was because the minute he died, she would be trapped. The only way she could escape the devil trap is if a human lets her out, and John was the only human presents and capable (albeit, currently bewitched).

 

So those were her options; kill John and be stuck, or die so he could live.

 

The warlock growled as he launched a barrage of fireballs at the demon. “Oh come on mate,” she said, “that’s just cheating.” She managed to dodge the first two, but the third got too close and exploded right in her face and made her fall to the ground. As Charlie’s face began to regrow, the warlock walked up to the downed demon. But before her could finish the job, Charlie kicked up and landed a strong blow between his legs. Momentarily paralyzed, the demon leapt up and knocked the air out of his lungs with a single punch to the diaphragm. Charlie used the time she had given herself to think of a way out. She recalled what Nora had said; that he was instructed to stab her.

 

‘That’s it,’ Charlie thought with a smile, ‘he just has to _stab_ me!’

 

The demon quickly pulled up her phone. By the time Constantine had recovered, she found what she was looking for.

 

***

“You want us to join your father?”

 

“Ava, I know it sounds insane, but you can trust him-.”

 

Sara interjected. “His name ain’t Timmy Trustworthy, it’s Damien fucking Darhk! That is the most evil sounding name I have ever heard!”

 

“Look, guys, I-.”

 

Suddenly there was a loud roar that shook through the building. It was a deep, inhuman noise; one that you not only hear, but feel deep within your being. Nora turned towards the door and Sara took the opportunity for action. “Now!” Sara pulled out her knives and threw them while Mick, Ava, and Zari fired their weapons.

 

However, the wraith turned around just as quickly. She held up her hands and all the projectiles stopped. For a second she looked shocked, betrayed even. Then her expression changed to one of pure rage. With red, glowing eyes and thick black veins forming across her features, she spoke in the distorted voice from before. “ **I wanted us to be by my side in friendship, but that ship has sailed. Now you are going to find out what happens when you PISS ME OFF!** ”

 

“Oh man,” a cheerful voice said, “that was so much cooler than the one I came up with.” Nora turned around to see the very demon she had just tried to kill, smart-ass smirk and all. “You got something on your face there.”

 

“What?”

 

Suddenly there was a loud SMACK as Nora was thrown through the wall. Charlie laughed. “Ha! I just slapped the fuck out of you!” The demon looked over to the group with wide eyes. “Z, guys, are you alright?”

 

“We’re fine,” Sara quickly replied, “but we need to get out of here quickly before she-.”

 

Suddenly, the rubble around Nora began to levitate off the ground. As if called by the mere implication of her, the wraith soon rose up as well, her form coated in a green fiery aura. “ **A pathetic attempt** ,” she laughed humorlessly, “ **from a worthless, neutered demon.** ”

 

“Z,” Charlie said sternly, “turn left when you go out the door. Take the stairs at the end of the hallway down two floors, then go straight. John’s behind the third door to your right. Get to him, follow his instructions, and stay away.”

 

“Charlie, I can help. I know her heart’s not fully into this. Nora’s opened up to me before, maybe if I stay I-.”

 

“I’m sorry,” the demon smiled sadly, “but it’s too much of a risk. Now GO!” Sara took charge and ran towards the door. Within five seconds, Charlie and Nora were alone.

 

“You don’t have to do this, kid.”

 

“ **We both know that that’s not the case. Besides** ,” Nora sneered, “ **since when do YOU step in and defend people?** ”

 

“Well I couldn’t just stand by and let you kill a human that’s under my protection.”

 

“ **Pathetic.** ”

 

“Perhaps, but we demons care about our image. Can’t have deals ending in dead people now can we?” Charlie smiled. “Plus if you kill her, there goes my chance to tap that.”

 

Nora shook her head. “ **You are in the middle of a life and death situation and all you can think about is getting laid? Are you even capable of taking things seriously?** ”

 

“She’s lived with ME, for a MONTH, in THIS BODY, and she still doesn’t want to have sex with me! How is this anything but serious?” The demon cracked her neck as her body began to change. Her eyes became their natural red/black form, her fingers cracked as they grew into long, sharp talons, and from her body sprouted her horns and tail. “But if you want to waste time,” she said as her teeth grew into fangs, “then I will oblige.”

 

“ **You forget, I can kill you too. After all, you WERE the one who trained me after I died.** ”

 

“Well then,” the demon picked up the couch and threw it at Nora, “let’s get started.”

 

***

_Percy was happy as he rode through the forest. It has been a few weeks since he married the lovely Tiana, and so far it was amazing. She was beautiful, fertile, and remarkably easy to control. It was as though God himself had blessed him._

 

_Unfortunately, things couldn’t stay perfect for long. For the past few days news had been coming in about strange happenings in the forest. While some called it witchcraft, the knight was hesitant to believe the stories of the common folk. In fact, if it hadn’t been for the reward, he wouldn’t have even bothered to help them. ‘After all,’ he thought, ‘what’s the point of being a knight if you don’t get paid?’ However, the promise of more land was enough for him and a collection of other warriors to venture out and slay whatever was disturbing the peace._

 

_“I say we turn back now,” said Iohn the Vigilant as he rode beside Percy, “we can just kill an animal on the way to the king and just say that was causing the commotion.”_

 

_The knight laughed. “Wanting to take the coward’s way out, it seems. Could it be that the great Sir Iohn is afraid?”_

 

_The knight looked around the dark forest. “Nay, just cautious. I have heard stories of a demon who lives in these forests; a dark woman who arises in the night to defy the natural order.”_

 

_Sir Remy rode up beside them. “Oh, come now. I have yet to encounter a creature that could defy a piece of well-sharpened steel!”_

 

_“He’s right, there is no need for us to be afraid. We walk in the daylight, sword in hand, on a mission for our God.”_

 

_“Don’t you mean ‘for money?’”_

 

_“I fail to see the difference, Iohn.”_

 

_There was a bit of laughter before the cowardly knight replied. “Perhaps you are right. But then again, didn’t you once bring a girl out to this forest a few years ago?”_

 

_“Oh yeah,” Remy said, “the little raven-haired whore! What was her name again?”_

 

_Suddenly a deep voice called out from the forest. “Nora.”_

 

_The three knights’ horses stopped as a woman covered in a black cloak emerged from the forest before them. Remy was the first to speak. “I take it you are the witch of this forest then?” When the woman didn’t answer, the knight got off of his horse. “You see,” he explained, “we have been offered a great deal of land in exchange for your death. So, know that this is nothing personal.”_

 

_Despite the threat, however, the woman remained silent. Curious, the other two knights unmounted their horses. “I don’t like this,” said Iohn, “it seems too easy.”_

 

_Finally the woman spoke. “I was going to say the same thing. Og emoh!”_

 

_Suddenly the horses disappeared. “What the hell? What did you do to them?”_

 

_“I sent them home. No sense in punishing the servants for the sins of their masters.”_

 

_Iohm began to panic. “Oh god, she’s gonna kill us. We have to get out of here!”_

 

_As the knight began to run away, the witch smiled. “Edisni tuo!” As she spoke the Iohm stopped dead in his tracks and started coughing. Then, he fell to the ground as he began to vomit. First, it was just blood, then as his body compressed on itself, he began to throw up muscle tissue. After five brutal, disgusting minutes, the knight died as his body was completely turned inside out._

 

_Sir Percy looked upon the visceral, bloody corpse with horror. “Wha-what did you do to him?”_

 

_“You called him a coward,” the witch replied with disturbed satisfaction, “but now we know that he had guts. LOTS of guts.”_

 

_“You sick freak,” Remy yelled as he donned his helmet, “I’m going to kill you for that!”_

 

_The knight drew his sword, but as he prepared for battle, the witch chuckled. “All that metal,” she smirked, “it would be a shame if someone raised the heat! Tlem!”_

 

_Sir Remy screamed as his armor started glowing orange. He tried to remove it, but the more he struggled, the more the heated metal began to fuse with his skin. Eventually, the knight’s helmet began to liquefy as well, his screams going silent as he drowned in the molten liquid._

 

_For the first time in his life, Sir Percy was afraid. He tried to turn and run, but as soon as he tried she was there. With a wave of her hand, he was thrown against a tree. Struggling to stand, the knight yelled at the woman. “Stay away from me, you WITCH!”_

 

_In an instant, the witch was suddenly standing over him. For the first time the knight could make out the scars that covered the twisted woman’s features. “What’s the matter,” she asked in a sickeningly sweet voice, “am I not pretty enough for you?”_

 

_“Y-you’re her, aren’t you? You’re the peasant girl from all those years ago.” As the situation began to dawn on him, the knight shrunk back in fear. “Oh god, you’re going to kill me!”_

 

_“Oh, sweetie,” she said baring a nightmarish grin, “I’m not going to kill you. I’m going to something much...much..._ **_worse._ ** _”_

 

_***_

“You know,” Charlie pointed out as she lunged forward, dodging the emerald fireballs, “I think that Zari still believes in you.”

 

Upon landing a few feet from the wraith, the demon rolled and stood up a few inches from her. Charlie tried to punch, but Nora caught it in her left hand mid-air. She then grabbed the demon’s arm with her right and used it to throw Charlie into the wall behind her. After delivering two blows to the stomach, she sent the demon through the wall with a punch to the sternum, feeling it shatter upon impact. “ **You think I care what some human I barely know thinks about me,** ” the wraith retorted, “ **I must have hit you too hard!** ”

 

As the snaps and pops of internal repair filled the room, the demon got back up. “I THINK that you are questioning whether following Damien is worth it,” Charlie pointed out. “I THINK that you have finally met people that have allowed you to embrace the humanity that you have been forced to repress for so long.” Nora began walking towards the demon as she kept speaking. “And I THINK that Anna would agree wi-.”

 

Charlie was cut off as Nora teleported right in front of her and drove her arm through her chest. “ **You have the audacity to invoke her name,** ” Nora asked as she clenched her bloody fist, “ **after what YOU did to me?** ” She leaned in closer to whisper to the struggling demon. “ **Now shut up and die.** ”

 

Suddenly, the demon began to chuckle. “G-gotcha.” As the wraith reviled in horror, Charlie took the opportunity to spit a mouthful of blood into her face. The demon then grabbed the arm that was inside her tightly and pulled forwards until Nora’s forearm was completely on the other side. By the time Nora wiped off the blood, the demon’s body had already healed the area around the arm to keep itself in place. Gripping Nora’s shoulder with her left hand to increase stability, Charlie used her right arm to land blow after blow on the wraith, easily breaking her nose and knocking out teeth with each punch. She also used her to slice up the wraith’s face. “Submit, Nora,” the demon shouted as she punched her again, “you can’t keep this up!”

 

“ **Shut up!** ” Nora rammed her head forward, shattering the demon’s nose. As the demon reoriented herself, Nora blasted a spell point-blank into the demon, sending Charlie’s body out of the window and freeing her arm. Taking the minute to heal herself, Nora looked out of the broken window to see the demon’s broken body several floors beneath her. Smiling, the wraith teleported to the ground as she watched Charlie put herself back together. “ **Having a little trouble there, demon?** ”

 

“Gimme a sec,” Charlie weezed out, “it’s just taking a little bit longer.”

 

“ **You’re breaking down,** ” Nora said with grim satisfaction, “ **burning up your own essence in order to keep your body in one piece.** ” The wraith looked at the demon’s broken legs as they healed themselves and, with a wet snap, broke them again. “ **You fight like you can heal from any wound, when in reality you are the most fragile of all.** ”

 

“If you’re going to kill me,” Charlie groaned, “can you at least cut the melodrama?”

 

“ **I knew what my father did would weaken you, but this? You barely have enough power to be considered a celestial!** ” She squatted down next to the demon. “ **It almost makes me feel bad for you. Hell, it probably would have if you didn’t abandon me.** ”

 

The demon rolled over are managed to get to her knees. “Nora, please, I-.”

 

“ **You promised to take me with you when you escaped, that we would find a way to get away from him. But instead you just left me there!** ”

 

Charlie tried to speak as she managed to get to her feet. “Nora, I did it to KEEP YOU SAFE! Your father said that if I took you with me, he would do to you TENFOLD what he did to me!”

 

“ **Keep me safe? Everyone hated you for helping those humans banish my Father, and they all still saw me as your student. They made my life HELL for a thousand years!** ”

 

“So you think killing me and bringing back that monster is a good idea?”

 

Nora spoke sadly. “ **It’s not about what I want, it’s about what they’ll do to me if I fail.** ”

 

“You know I can’t let you do that.”

 

“ **Save your breath,** ” the wraith scoffed, “ **you are weak and lack any form of weapon. I’m the magic user. What do you think is going to happen?** ”

 

“Trust me, I have an idea. And with regards to the ‘unarmed’ thing…” Charlie hiked up the sleeves on her arms to reveal long, crudely-stitched cuts on the insides of her biceps. “If you are going to vaporize every weapon your opponent has,” the demon grunted as she reached in and pulled out two knives that had been hidden under her skin, “you might wanna check a little more carefully.”

 

***

As Sara and Ava helped the warlock to his feet, the concerned hacker listened to the commotion up above. “We should do something,” she said, concerned.

 

“What would you have us do? Shoot her, kick her ass? She stopped bullets and knives mid-air!”

 

“Yes, Sara,” Zari said sardonically, “I remember! It’s just that....”

 

“You don’t like feeling helpless,” the warlock suggested weakly, “feeling like you don’t have control?” John paused as the sound of a loud crashing filled the room (if Zari’s instincts were right, someone was being thrown through a wall. “Z, I know it’s frustrating, but we would only get in the way.” Limping over, John put a hand on the hacker’s shoulder. “Right now, we need to get moving. The demon’s plan doesn’t include lollygagging.”

 

Zari knocked the warlock’s hand away and turned to the window. “Oh yeah,” she groaned, “let’s let the drug addicted, alcoholic, nihilistic nymphomaniac come up with a plan! ThAt SoUnDs LiKe A gReAt IdEa! I’m sure that will end well, not that any of you care if she dies!”

 

Ava spoke sympathetically. “Zari-.”

 

“No! Don’t you dare start!” The hacker grit her teeth as she turned around, using her rage to distract from her own sorrow. “None of you saw what happened to Amaya but _I DID_ ! _I_ was the one who had to see her best friend’s dead body! _I_ was the one who had to watch as a goddamn demon took control of her body. And _I_ ,” she said, tears starting to fall, “am the one who has to remember it every time I see her face, so god help me if I have to go through it agai-.” Suddenly the hacker stopped as a shadow passed over her. Looking out of the window once more, she could make out the demon’s form on the ground.

 

Grabbing her pistol, Zari began to run out of the room. “Zari, wait,” Sara tried to call out, “Charlie said to-.” But it was too late, she was already gone. The bartender wanted to go after her, but John stopped her.

 

“Sara, we don’t have time,” the warlock said raggedly, “we have to follow the plan. We need to find Ray Palmer.”

 

***

Charlie grinned as she slashed at the wraith before her, eliciting a pained yell as a long cut was made along her chest. Nora tried to throw a right hook (supplemented by her strength-enhancing magics), but the demon quietly side-stepped out of the way. As quick as a blink, she then plunged one of her knives into her assailant’s shoulder. As Nora recoiled in pain, Charlie then switched her hand’s position and sliced upwards, slicing through muscle and bone as it moved upwards. By the time the knife cut through, it had left a large, open gash in the girl’s right shoulder. For good measure, Charlie brought both knives around and plunged them into Nora’s stomach before kicking her in the chest, knocking her to the ground.

 

“ **Y-You...,** ” Nora sneered, “ **you think you’re so clever, don’t you?** ” While a normal human would have gone into shock at this point, Nora had spent the last thousand years in hell. She could definitely take it.

 

Charlie smirked, clearly proud of herself. “Maybe,” she then walked over and sat down hard on the girl’s stomach, “you should have known better than to let me get my hands on a weapon.” The demon rolled her eyes as she felt Nora’s blood begin to soak into her pants. “Oh quit being a baby,” she said as she sheathed her knives, “just heal yourself already.”

 

“ **Fine…** ” Casting more healing magic, the wraith felt the black veins extend across her features. While utilizing demon energy was useful for performing spells, doing so had a cost. While Nora could live with the fact that it breaks down her vessel (after all, the host was dead to begin with and she could always get a new one), it was the corruption that she hated. For lack of a better word: it **fucking HURT**. Every time she casted a spell, it was as though someone had injected plutonium straight into her bloodstream. What’s worse was that this pain would stay with her after she had left the host.

 

“Holy shit Nora,” Charlie said breathlessly, “what have you done to yourself?”

 

“ **None of your damn business!** ”

 

Nora tried to throw a punch, but the demon caught the fist before it could land. Charlie then unsheathed one of her knives and held it to the wraith’s throat. “Nora, I-....I know that we haven't exactly been the best of friends this past millennium, but I want to offer you a deal. You stay out of my way and I allow you to live on earth. I can even talk to the angels and see if we can get you out of hell, what do you say?”

 

“ **And if I refuse?** ” When the demon didn’t respond, Nora laughed evilly. “ **Oh, I see** ,” she said, “ **it’s one of those ‘or else’ deals, isn’t it? Well save your fucking breath.** ”

 

“Nora, please. Don’t let this hate consume you.”

 

The wraith brought her neck up against the knife until she began to bleed slightly. “ **You think you can save my soul? Guess what? You’re too late.** ”

 

***

_“Nora,” Anna said as they ate their dinner, “I think we need to talk.”_

 

_Nora grunted as she ate her food, not bothering to look at her teacher. “About what?”_

 

_The older woman swallowed nervously, unsure of how to address her concerns. “I-I think that we should take a break from the magic.”_

 

_The girl went dead still for a minute before looking up at Anna. “And why exactly should we do this?”_

 

_“You know why,” the disguised demon said firmly, “ever since what happened with that knight you’ve been...different.”_

 

_“That happened a little over a year ago, why is bothering you now?”_

 

_In truth, it had been bothering her for a while. For the past year she had to watch her student, the closest friend she’d ever had, slowly turn into an empty husk of her former self. Where she had been healthy and colorful, the girl was now pale as snow and as gaunt and skinny as a skeleton. Her eyes, once full of life, were sunken-in and nearly lifeless. “Because I care about you Nora! I know people can’t control how they feel, but Nora it’s like you are angry all the time!” The younger girl scoffed, but she continued. “And the magic you’ve had me teaching you? Those spells are meant to do one thing, and one thing only: hurt people.”_

 

_“So I want to learn some more aggressive spells, what does that have to do with anything?”_

 

_Seeing no choice, Anna finally voiced the true cause of her concern. “Nora,” she said grimly, “I know about the killings.”_

 

_The human sighed as she leaned back in her chair. “So that’s it, huh, that’s why you’re so concerned. I was beginning to question whether or not you would find out.”_

 

_“No, I knew from the start.”_

 

_“Then why-.”_

 

_Her teacher cut her off. “Because it needs to stop, Nora!” Anna shook her head as she continued. “I know that I let you take your revenge against Sir Percy, but Nora...what you did to him-.”_

 

_“Was justice.”_

 

_“IT WAS WRONG! I’ve seen a lot of horrible things, but NO ONE deserves that.” Anna sighed and shook her head. “But I didn’t say anything. You were making sure he wouldn’t hurt anyone else. Hell, I could even accept that the two stragglers were just collateral damage.” She paused for a second. “Then, one day I hear that some local bandits have been found dead in a nearby village. Another day, a thief. By the time I realized it was you, four people had died.”_

 

_Nora crossed her arms, clearly impatient and was waiting for her teacher to get to the point. “All of those men were criminals,” she explained, “they deserved what they had coming.”_

 

_“And at first, I agreed,” Anna admitted. “Even though I was angry, I had faith in you. Faith that you were only doing this to help people, that you had a code. So I made the decision that I wouldn’t get involved.” She shook her head in shame. “But then it happened again, and again, and again, and again. And despite the fact your victims’ alleged crimes become more based on rumor, I still believed that you were doing so because you sought to help people.”_

 

_“So why are you upset now?”_

 

_“Because I had to stop lying to myself,” she said sternly. “You’re not killing to help others, you’re doing it because you want to.” The older woman got up and began to walk over to the younger girl. “I don’t know what has made you go down this path, but it’s not too late to turn back.” Anna began to reach out. “I can-.”_

 

_“Help me?” Nora scoffed. “If you want to help me, then help me get stronger.”_

 

_“Nora, the type of magic you seek is only fueled by anger. Letting hate control you like that will only lead to sadness and death.”_

 

_“I don’t care! Do it anyway!”_

 

_“I can’t in good conscience do something that will only make this worse. You need help.”_

 

_Nora stood up and to the window away from Anna. “Then you are of no more use to me,” she said coldly. “I believe it is time that I leave.”_

 

_Frantic, Anna pleaded with her student. “Child, please, don’t do this. I can help you.”_

 

_“Shut up.”_

 

_“Nora, I have seen what an insatiable lust for blood can do to a person. I can help you overcome this!”_

 

_The younger girl shook her head as she walked to the door. “Be QUIET!”_

 

_“Nora-.”_

 

_The raven-haired girl turned back as her eyes began to glow bright red. She spoke with such anger, and as she talked her voice began to get distorted. “I SAID B_ **_E QUIET_ ** _!”_

 

_Anna could only stand in shock as the girl’s eyes turned back to normal. In that moment, any hope she had disappeared as her worst fear came true. ‘I failed her,’ she thought, ‘it’s too late.’_

 

_Nora sneered at her teacher as she opened the door. “I’m grateful for all you have taught me, but I’m NOT your damn daughter. If you are going to hold me back, than I see no reason to continue staying here.”_

 

_“Please don’t do this,” Anna begged, “don’t let it end like this.”_

 

_Nora coldly looked away as she shut the door. “Goodbye Anna, I wish you well.”_

 

***

As Charlie held the knife to the Nora’s throat, the images in her head made her waver. Every logical part of the demon told her that she should just kill the wraith right now and get it over with, but she just couldn’t. As long as she had those memories...that _promise_...she couldn’t hurt her.

 

Nora, on the other hand, had no such qualms about the demon. So when Charlie showed hesitation, the wraith took the opportunity to blast the demon several feet away from her. “ **You had me at your mercy and you blew it,** ” the demon said as she got to her feet, fully healed from her previous damage, “ **a poor time to hesitate.** ”

 

“I won’t kill you Nora.”

 

In a blink, Nora closed the space between them and crashed her against the wall. “ **WHY?!? WHY D** O YOU CARE?” The black veins slightly receded from her face as her voice smoothed out.

 

Charlie leaned in and whispered. “Because I have faith in you.” Nora’s eyes widened, and for a second Charlie swore the girl’s eyes turned back to normal.

 

Bang

Bang

Bang

Bang

 

Nora roared in pain and any resemblance to humanity left in an instant. It was replaced instead with a rage unlike anything before. Charlie heard a voice yell out. “Get away from her!”

 

_Zari!_

 

The demon tried to stop Nora, but by this point she was on a blind warpath. She dropped Charlie and launched six powerful fireballs at her. Tapping into what limited magic she had left, Charlie exploded into a burst of unimaginable speed. Knowing that taking down Nora wouldn’t save the mortal who held her fate in her hands, the demon recognized that there was only one possible solution. Running faster than the eye could track, Charlie ran to the mortal and positioned herself in such a way that not an inch of Zari would be exposed to the onslot. ‘Aw shit,’ she thought, ‘this is going to fucking hurt, isn’t it?’

 

The demon was then rocked by the endless barrage of magical attacks. The surprised mortal looked up to see none other than Charlie, the demon she so despised, shielding her from harm. When the assault was over the demon collapsed on top of Zari, her entire back side reduced to nothing but charred flesh. From Zari’s angle, the red moon seemed to shine perfectly around her head like a fucked-up and bloody halo. Zari almost chuckled; perhaps the universe did have a sense of humor.

 

“Charlie,” the mortal said breathlessly, “you...you saved me.”

 

The demon smirked. “Well of course,” she said, “can’t have you dying on me, now can I?” Charlie then began coughing into her hand, but when she examined it, Zari noticed that it wasn’t blood. If the mortal didn’t know better, she would say that her roommate was coughing up... liquified space. The substance was black, save several bright lights within it which vaguely resembled stars. “Ah shit, that ain’t good.”

 

“ **It’s over Charlie** ,” Nora yelled, “ **no more stalling, no more convincing. It’s time that I ended you.** ”

 

The demon rolled her eyes. “Yes, I quite agree. It’s time for the main event!”  Charlie put her hand on Zari’s gun. “Do you mind if I use this for a bit,” she asked. The mortal nodded and handed over the weapon. “Thank you.” Moaning in pain, Zari watched as the demon managed to stand and face her former friend. For a brief second, her eyes fell upon the ruined back of her protector. Horrified by the unnatural growing of flesh around the wound, she turned her attention to the two entities.

 

Charlie then brought up the gun and aimed it at Nora, causing the demon to chuckle. “ **You are on you last hope,** ” the wraith chuckled, “ **and you decide to turn to a primitive gun? You know I can just disintegrate that, right?** ”

 

“Well, you see,” Charlie said as she coughed up more of that strange liquid, “this isn’t any ordinary gun. THIS is perhaps the one thing that can keep you from killing me.”

 

“ **Alright** ,” Nora said as she shook her head, “ **I’ll let you have your fun.** ” Suddenly she pulled out a knife of her own. “ **But the moment the magazine empties, you die.** ”

 

Closing her eyes, Charlie listened to her surroundings until she found that magical sound: footsteps, very distinctive footsteps. “I wouldn’t be too sure about that.” Pointing the gun away from Nora, the demon fired ten shots to her right side without even looking.

 

Nora looked confused as she looked to where she was aiming. “ **Why did you-.** ” She stopped as she saw a familiar figure collapse as his chest became stained with red. Over him stood a hellhound, ready to pounce.

 

_Ray_.

 

Nora unleashed a bloodcurdling that shattered all the building’s window. She then launched forward and held a knife to the demon’s throat. “ **How DARE you** ,” she said, “ **he did NOTHING to you!** ” As she brought her knife back to land a killing blow, she began to speak. “ **I’m going to KILL YOU FOR THI-.** ”

 

“Actually,” the demon smirked, “I don’t think you will.”

 

“ **And why’s that?** ”

 

“Well,” the demon spoke quickly and without pause, “a few weeks ago Zari showed me this AMAZING movie called _The Dark Knight_. Have you seen it? Doesn’t matter. The POINT is that in the movie the villain presents a challenge to the hero; two people are held captive, he can save one, but not the other.” She pointed to Nora’s chest. “You’re the hero in this case. You can either kill me, upon which Dante is instructed to rip that man apart. Or you can save him, thus sparing me.”

 

Pressing the knife against the demon’s neck, Nora growled. “ **Why not do both?** ”

 

“Because that’s why you have been trying to do from the start.” Licking her lips, the demon continued excitedly. “I know that you care about him, but I also know that you feel a need to do what Damien says. You tried to have both, but now I’m taking that choice away. I’m guessing that you wanted him by your side as you brought hell on earth? Say goodbye to THAT SHIT!”

 

“ **I’ll bring him back!** ”

 

“Oh sweetie,” Charlie mocked, “it’s going to be HELL on earth. That’s great for the people there, but you and I both know that’s not where he’s heading. So make your choice.” Feigning surprise, the demon then raised a finger. “Oh, I almost forgot. If I’m right, the blood moon should only last for another minute and a half. Also, I’m 99% sure Ray’s bleeding out so CHOP CHO-.”

 

The demon was cut off as Nora threw her to the ground and rushed to Ray’s side. Blasting the hellhound back, Charlie placed her hand on the man’s chest and started the healing spells. ‘I’m sorry Ray,’ she thought to herself, ‘I’m sorry for everything.’ Using this type of magic was...almost foreign to her. It wasn’t bad, in fact, it was quite the opposite. For so long, the wraith had used nothing but dark magic, becoming used to the pain that it brought. But that wasn’t the case with this magic. For the first time in a VERY long time, it felt good to use magic. It was as though healing ray...healed her. By the time the last bullet was removed and the wound closed, the girl was reveling in this feeling that the magic brought her.

 

In fact, she was so overwhelmed by it that she didn’t even notice when Charlie walked up behind her and pistol-whipped the girl into unconsciousness.

 

***

As Nora woke up, she began to hear two female voices arguing. “-and so your plan was the plot of a GODDAMN SUPERHERO MOVIE,” Sara yelled at the demon.

 

“I honestly fail to see what your problem is,” the demon said nonchalantly, “it worked, didn’t it?”

 

Ava then stepped in. “So was this your plan from the start? Or…”

 

“Girl, I didn’t even want to fucking come. Zari’s the only reason I’m here, so I was forced to improvise.”

 

As the group interrogated the demon, Nora tried to move but found herself restrained. She looked down to see herself duct-taped to a chair similar to the one she imprisoned Constantine with. Her mouth was also covered with a similar material, effectively gagging her. She also saw that they had erected three levels of warding around her to ensure the wraith’s confinement. Nora almost smirked, in any other situation she would be proud of their intelligence. She looked up and locked eyes with the corgi on the demon’s lap.

 

“So you risked your life and potential Armageddon on a gut feeling?” Zari asked. “You are starting to make me seriously question whether or not you have any form of self-preservation instinct!”

 

“Bold of you to assume I ever had one.” The dog barked and the demon paused to look over. “Ah,” she said happily, “our guest is awake!”

 

“Ah good,” the warlock said as he sauntered over, “now we can have a discussion.”

 

Ripping the duct-tape off painfully, Nora licked her lips. “Ow,” She said, clearly annoyed.

 

Ray began to step forward. “Anna, I,” he stopped just as he reached the warding, “please, I know you’re in there. I know you can fight through this.” The group looked away uncomfortably, clearly not wanting to tell him the true nature of who she was.

 

“Ray,” Nora stopped him, “I know this is going to hurt, but Anna has been gone a long time. I’ve…well...I guess you could say that I’ve always just been me.”

 

The demon spoke up. “I hate to be the idiot who asks this, but how long have you been Anna and how did she die.”

 

“I’ve been her since the night you first came,” she said understandingly, “found her about an hour after the door opened.” Nora licked her lips nervously as she continued. “As for how she died...when I first woke up as her, I found an empty pill bottle in one hand and a bottle of whisky in another.” The wraith shrugged. “I’ll let you figure out the rest.” Looking at the rest of the group, Nora shook her head. “I know what you’re going to ask,” she said defeatedly, “but the truth is that I have no idea what else my father is planning. You may as well get it over with.”

 

“Good enough for me.”

 

Mick turned on his flame gun and pointed it at Nora, but Ray ran in front of her. “Wait,” he said desperately, “can’t we talk about this?”

 

“Jesus Christ, Ray. You can not be serious!”

 

“Sara, she wanted to save us! This is the same girl who befriended us-became ONE of us! Doesn’t that mean anything to you?”

 

“Of coarse it fucking means something! You think that I don’t want things to go back to the way things were? Of coarse I fucking do! But it’s too late, we need to send her back to where she belongs!”

 

For the first time Zari spoke up. “Can we at least not send her back to her people? I know she betrayed us, but I don’t want to imagine what they’ll do to her.”

 

Constantine licked his lips and looked over at Charlie. The two of them looked almost uncomfortable. “Yeah, about that...we aren’t sending her back.” The warlock swallowed. “We’re killing her. ACTUALLY killing her. Charlie taught me the incantation as you guys were duct-taping her to the chair.”

 

“You’re what?!?”

 

Ray being to walk forward, but Nora caught her attention. “Ray,” she said, “it’s okay.”

 

Turning back, Ray looked at Nora with a look of pure shock. “How,” he asked, “how are you okay with this?”

 

The wraith smiled sadly at him. “My sweet Ray,” she said as a tear fell from her eye, “I would much rather die here, surrounded by the people who have brought me the first semblance of happiness I’ve experienced in the last millennia, than go back to the monsters who will make me wish I was dead.” She nodded her head. “This is for the best.”

 

As Ray continued to plead with Nora, the rest of the legends looked at each other, suddenly feeling a strange sense of guilt for what they were about to do. “Nora, I know there is good in you. I don’t care that you were lying about who you were, but I know that what we had together was good! At least tell me that was re-.”

 

“Don’t,” Nora shook her head, “please don’t ask me that.”

 

“Why not.”

 

With tears in her eyes, the wraith answered him. “Because I can’t trust myself. I know there is a part of me that will only want to use those emotions to manipulate you, but I can’t do that-I WON’T do that…. Not to you.”

 

Ray then turned to the demon. “You ...you tried to get her to stop. You know that there’s good in her.”

 

Charlie turned to John. “Do it.”

 

“Are you sure this will work.”

 

“Absolutely.”

 

The warlock began to walk up to the circle, quickly coming face-to-face with Ray. After a silent conversation passed between them, the taller man reluctantly stepped aside. John then placed a hand on Nora’s hand as he began to chant. “Luos reh laes! Nihtiw ssenkrad eht egrup!” As he casted the spell, Nora’s body began to lose control, uncontrollably spasming in the chair. “Luos reh laes! Nihtiw ssenkrad eht egrup!” Suddenly, all of the black blood vessels along her face began to recede. “Luos reh laes! Nihtiw ssenkrad eht egrup!” This time, Nora screamed as she threw her head back, bright, white lights beginning to emanate from her eyes and mouth.

 

***

_Anna held the bottle of wine in her hand as she watched the scene unfold before her. It was a cold winter day, the type that mothers warn their children not to go out in. But despite that, the house couldn’t have been more warm and comforting. The witch and her student sat at the table, enjoying the wealth of food that laid before them. Nora loved to gorge herself on the sweet fruits and delicious meats (all of which were cooked to her perfection and completely free of any disease), a diet which formed in response to the non-availability of said foods in her days as a peasant. Anna, on the other hand, preferred to have a well-rounded and nutritionally-sound diet._

 

_While this may seem like a normal, responsible thing to do, it is important to remember that, as a celestial, Anna didn’t actually NEED to eat. In fact, she had once been one of the many demons that had completely sworn off any human food. However, around Nora this was no longer the case. This was because 1:it helped her blend in, and 2: for some reason it felt good to share this experience with her. The demon adored their little conversations that they had in between bites, the funny faces the girl would make when she introduced her to a new food, and watching her eyes widen as she told Nora the stories of past adventurers. In this moment, everything was perfect, everything was-._

 

_“Hey, boss! Hello? Are you in there or are you doing that weird ‘mindspace’ thing?”_

 

_Anna sighed and opened her eyes as she returned to reality. Turning to the annoying raven on her shoulder, the demon spoke in a dull, monotone voice. “I thought I told you not to disturb me when I’m meditating.” All around her, the house seemed to match her mood. Furniture was in disrepair, nothing was picked up, and the entire house was a lifeless mess that even ghosts wouldn’t haunt. This was in large part the fault of the owner who, despite being able to clean it up in a matter of seconds, simply lacked the willingness to care. It had been three months since Nora had left, and Anna felt her loss every day._

 

_“I-I’m sorry boss,” the raven said, “it’s just that you told me to let you know the minute I found her.”_

 

_“That was weeks ago,” the demon retorted, “but I’ll let it slide. How is she doing?”_

 

_The bird cleared its throat (well, as much as a bird COULD clear their throat), and flew onto the table facing the demon. “About that...I have some bad news.”_

 

_Anna’s eyes turned red. “What KIND of bad news?”_

 

_“It would seem that the reason I such difficulty finding her is because...well...there ISN’T a ‘her’ anymore. I’m so sorry.”_

 

_“_ **_How?_ ** _”_

 

_“The residents of a local village caught her using magic and locked her up. She would have used magic, but these people knew what they were doing. Word around the flock is that as soon as they heard about the bounty the king had put out for a witch, they cut off her head and sent it as proof for the reward.” The demon then wordlessly stood up and ignited their hands in emerald flame. Already knowing what she would ask, the raven answered. “It’s a 15 minute flight to the south,” the bird then wisely flew out of the house, “God help them.”_

 

_Shaking with rage, Anna then let out a monstrous roar as her house exploded around her. Turning in the direction of her target, the demon looked up and, for the first time in eons, attempted to speak with her mother. “_ **_If you know what’s good for you_ ** _,” she said with murder in her eye, “_ **_then you’ll stay out of my way and let me do what must be done._ ** _” As the remnants of her past life turned to ash around her, Anna unfolded her pure-black wings as she prepared to take her revenge._

 

***

As the bright light coming from Nora faded, the wraith’s head fell forward, lifeless. “Well,” the warlock sighed as he exited the circle, “I guess that’s tha-.” Suddenly, Nora took a deep breath as she came back to life. As the rest of the group recoiled in shock, Charlie took one of her knives and threw it at the circular seal. By severing it, Nora’s magic quickly returned to her. Quickly breaking from her bonds, Nora silently regarded the demon before teleporting away. Furious, John turned and clocked the demon in the face with a right hook. “What the hell was that,” he asked, “you told me that the spell would eliminate her! Did you lie to me, or did you just so happen to fuck it up?”

 

Massaging her jaw, the demon stood back up. “Actually,” she said matter-of-factly, “what I SAID was that it would ensure that she was no longer a threat. In that regard, the spell worked perfectly.”

 

Sara scoffed. “And how exactly is she no longer a threat? Because it seems to me like we just let her go! What happens if she decides to bring reinforcements?”

 

Charlie rolled her eyes. “She can’t. I just had Johnny here bind her to her vessel. Now the only way she can leave it is if she dies. Besides,” the demon smirked, “even if she could leave her body, she’s definitely not going back to hell, not after her failure.”

 

“So we’re just supposed to let her run willy-nilly while she has access to demon magic?”

 

“Actually, John, it’s HAD access to demon magic. Part of the spell was to put that little limitation on her.”

 

Grabbing her shirt, the warlock pulled the demon close to him. “Give me one good reason-.”

 

“I have two actually. Do you know what Nora was before she died? She was a peasant, a servant to a king who wouldn’t have cared if she lived or died. Now, can you take a guess as to what she became when she died?” Charlie noticed the warlock’s grip beginning to loosen. Looking around, she could see that the rest of the group was starting to be similarly affected. “Nora’s not a bad person,” the demon said as she shook her head, “and she’s no criminal mastermind. She is a prisoner. Shouldn’t she have a chance to redeem herself?” Mick  and Sara seemed to be the most affected by that remark, with Mick shifting his feet nervously and Sara starting to fiddle with a strange, silver ring on her left ring finger. “Zari, I told you how I trust my gut, and right now every part of me is saying that her punishment does not fit the crime. She did not deserve to go to hell, and she most certainly did not deserve to become the daughter of a monster.”

 

“So what’s going to happen to her,” Ray asked, “is she just going to live out her host’s life?”

 

“That’s up to her. For the first time in her life, I am giving Nora the freedom to choose her own fate.”

 

Ava crossed her arms. “And what if she decides to hurt someone? What happens if she decides to live up to her hellish legacy?”

 

Breaking the warlock’s grip on her, the demon continued to speak. “She’ll be MY responsibility. And if she’s smart, Nora will remember the deal I offered her when we were fighting; I’ll stay out of her way if she stays out of ours.”

 

The group seemed to silently contemplate this before Zari spoke up. “And what’s the second reason.”

 

“The second reason,” the demon said as she smiled, “is who I am.” Sara raised an eyebrow at her. “Well, technically it’s about who Amaya was. I’ve been hanging around you guys for a month and, from what I’ve gathered, it seems that whenever THIS big softie wasn’t around,” the demon walked over and leaned against Ray, “Amaya would act as your moral compass. Am I right?” There were some murmurs that began to pop up between the legends before the demon continued. “Look, I’m not trying to make any assumptions, I’m just saying that I get it. A schoolteacher who puts others before themselves? You couldn’t ask for a better angel on your shoulder, and tonight it really seemed like you could use one.”

 

“And why did you think that, exactly?” Asked the hacker.

 

“John,” Charlie asked as she turned to the warlock, “tell me, in your career as an exorcist, have you ever had to watch someone be sent to hell? Someone who you knew did not deserve it?” The color drained from Constantine’s face as he nodded. Walking back, Charlie placed a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. “That kind of guilt stays with you, doesn’t it?” Once again, he nodded.

 

Sara rolled her eyes. “She tried to kill us, what’s there to feel guilty about?”

 

“You tell me. From what I saw, you lot seemed to feel pretty bad about it.” That seemed to shut up any retorts real quickly. “I may not be Amaya,” the demon admitted, “Mom knows I could never be her. However, something tells me that if she WAS here...she would do anything to save you from the kind of guilt that comes from sending a friend to hell. You can hate me if you want, but you know I’m right.”

 

Out of nowhere, Mick decided to speak. “She’s right.” Everyone turned to him in shock, absolutely stunned that he was siding with the demon. “I hate cops,” he admitted (though no one was surprised), “but today we almost became cops.” The pyro then offered his hand. “Thank you for making sure we didn’t.”

 

The demon smiled as she gave the bald man a firm handshake. “No problem.”

 

“Listen, Charlie,” Sara said as she approached, “it’s going to take us some time to... _accept_ our friend’s loss. However, on behalf of our entire friend group, I want to thank you for all you have done.

 

“Well, thank you for that, and believe me, I completely understan-.” Suddenly, there was a loud barking as the hellhound tried to get its master’s attention. “Hold up,” the demon asked the dog, “what? What do you mean you deserve half of the credit? You didn’t even do anything!”

 

The sight of the hellhound telling off the demon made Sara smile, despite herself. “Well, in the meantime,” she turned to the hacker, “Zari, do you mind if we discuss something in private?”

 

Quickly agreeing, Zari followed the bartender until the two of them were behind a large shipping container, completely out of the group’s line of sight. Nervous, the hacker then started speaking randomly in hopes of avoiding the chewing out that she was sure was to come. “Listen, Sara, I know you’re mad that I didn’t tell you about Amaya, but I assure you that I-.”

 

Sara cut her off as she embraced Zari in a tight hug. “Oh Zari,” the bartender said, burying her face in the raven-haired girl’s shoulder as she shook her head, “I’m so sorry.” Sara pulled away, but still left a hand on her shoulder. “You had to live with that secret for a month. I can’t imagine how hard that must have been- how alone you must have felt.”

 

As relief overwhelmed her, Zari returned with another hug. “You have no idea how much I wanted to tell you guys,” she said as tears began to leak from her face, “how much I wanted to tell YOU. I wanted to do something, but I was so scared…”

 

“Hey, don’t do this to yourself. You were trapped in an impossible scenario. No one can blame you for that. Hell, if it had been Ava...I don’t know what I would have done, but I would NOT have handled it as well as you did.”

 

“Th-Thank you,” the hacker said as she started to chalk up, “Thank you for understanding.”

 

“No problem, and if you ever need someone to talk to about this, please don’t hesitate to ask. You’ve carried this burden alone for long enough.” Zari pulled away as she tried to get herself to stop crying. “So,” Sara said as she tried to cheer her up, “she’s the mother of sadomasochism, huh? How is it like, living with that?”

 

The hacker started chuckling. “Her primary wardrobe seems to consist entirely of leather, she has stolen and worn my clothes, and she seems to the bottomless libido of a teenage boy.” Zari shrugged. “In other words; it’s exactly how you think it is.” The two then burst out into a shared laughter. “Guess what else? Every day she tries to get me to sleep with her.”

 

“No fucking way!”

 

“Oh yeah. Trust me, nothing wakes you up more than seeing your best friend on their knees in front of you at 6:30 in the morning and hearing them tell you that they would rather have YOU for breakfast than actual food.”

 

At first Sara laughed, then after a few seconds she closed her eyes as her face scrunched in disgust. “Oh God, now that image is in my head,” she exclaimed, “why? WHY?”

 

“Yep. Of course, other than that, it’s really not as bad as you would think.” She leaned closer and whispered in Sara’s ear. “I honestly think she’s trying to get on my good side.”

 

“Why’s that?”

 

“Well, Charlie says that she wants to go back to heaven and the only way to do so is by having me agree to help her. Apparently she’s tired of being in hell. ”

 

Sara shrugged. “Well, if ONE demon is going into heaven, she’s as good as any.”

 

Zari raised an eyebrow at her. “What do you mean?”

 

“I mean that while I wish I could believe that all demons were like this, something tells me that we were extremely lucky to have her.” Sara shrugged. “She could have taken the easy way out but she...god help me for saying this, she did the right thing.” Shaking her head as she dealt with the fact that she had just complimented a demon, Sara asked Zari. “Is complimenting her always like this?”

 

“Trust me, it never stops being weird.”

 

***

After John teleported everyone back to the bar (including Sara’s car), the group said their ‘good night’s’ to each other and drove home. On their way back, Zari decided to say something to the demon about what had happened to her that night.

 

“So how did you escape?”

 

“I’m sorry?”

 

“The devil trap,” the mortal clarified, “John having one of the few things that could kill you?”

 

Charlie smiled. “Words are a funny thing, Z. Nora said that the only way he would stop was if he stabbed me, and he did.”

 

“So then how are we even talking? Shouldn’t you be dead?”

 

“Nora should have been more specific with her words,” the demon chuckled, “she said that the blade had to stab me, but she never said that it had to pierce my flesh. That way, all he would have to do is stab something or someone who looked like me, and then he would snap out of it.” The demon reached for her pocket as she continued. “For instance, he could, hypothetically, stab a picture of me that comes from one of those devices that you humans love so much.”

 

“You didn’t!”

 

Charlie pulled out her phone, now with a giant hole in the middle of the screen. “Guess I’m gonna need a new phone.”

 

Zari laughed as she reflected on the demon’s plan. “What about all of the other stuff, like the ultimatum that you threw down?”

 

The dark-skinned demon rolled her eyes. “Are you sure you want to know?” Zari nodded. “Fine. From the minute that we started going to the warehouse, I knew that fighting Nora was going to be inevitable. So, as soon as John and I stopped fighting, I started prepping to take her on. I sewed some knives into my skin and went up to distract her while you lot helped John with his part of the plan.”

 

The mortal shook her head. “So you weren’t actually trying to kill her? It was just a distraction?”

 

“Yep!”

 

“Is that why you got thrown out of a window?”

 

“Actually,” the demon corrected, “that part was a coincidence. I had intended to fight her in a way that would lead to both of us getting thrown out of the window together. But that kinda fell through when she punched a hole in my chest and blasted me out instead.”

 

“I’m sorry, she did WHAT?”

 

“Don’t worry,” the demon assured her, “it all worked out.” She chuckled as she continued, amused by Zari’s concern for her. “Honestly, the only thing I was concerned about was that she wouldn’t follow me down, but luckily she teleported to my side. All that was left to do then was stall.”

 

“I’m guessing that my showing up wasn’t part of the plan?”

 

“Not at all,” Charlie admitted, “but I improvised and things turned out well. Ray showed up, I shot him, Nora saved him, then I took down Nora!”

 

Zari shook her head. “I still can’t believe that shooting Ray was part of your plan.”

 

“Ray was always part of the plan. He was the person that she connected to the most. If I was going to help Nora, I couldn’t force it upon her.”

 

“So you made her choose,” Zari realized. “You created a scenario that forced her to decide between her humanity and her inhumanity. That way, when Nora chose to save Ray, she would be forced to accept that there was still good in her and that she has not completely lost her humanity.” The hacker smiled. “You know what was going to happen, didn’t you?”

 

“Not at all.”

 

“What?”

 

“Oh, no,” Charlie clarified, “you were right about the choice thing. But I had absolutely no idea what she would choose. I just followed my gut.”

 

“Oh...I did not know that.” The mortal confessed before continuing. “Well I suppose I should thank you, by the way. I guess I owe you one now, huh?”

 

Charlie seemed confused as Dante whined questioningly. “What do you mean?”

 

The duo (and dog) pulled up to their apartment and parked their car. “You saved me from being barbecued,” Zari said as they walked to their door, “therefore, I owe you now.”

 

As the mortal opened the door, the demon shook her head. “Maybe we don’t have to. We shouldn’t force each other to do things just because of some arbitrary obligation.” Putting the Dante down on the floor of the apartment, the demon offered a hand to Zari. “Why don’t we agree to stay neutral? Does that sound good?”

 

Zari almost did a double take. She had not expected the demon to turn down a favor, much less take the high road. In that moment, it was as though Amaya was back with her, like nothing had even happened. She gave the demon a handshake. “Sounds good to me.” She glanced over to the clock which read 11:46. “It’s getting late, we should get to bed.”

 

“Don’t mind if I do.”

 

“Separate beds!”

 

Charlie laughed to herself as she carried her hellhound up to her room and closed the door. “Well, I think that went well.”

 

“ _I suppose that, given the situation, the fact that it went well should be considered a miracle_.”

 

“Oh come on, Dante,” the demon said as she took off her clothes for bed, “everything went perfectly.”

 

“ _Oh really? Then why were you bleeding_?”

 

“I’m sorry to be the one to tell you this, but a four story drop tends to cause a displacement of bodily fluids.”

 

_“I’m not asking why your host was bleeding. I’m asking why were YOU bleeding?”_

 

Charlie stopped dead. “Sensed that, didn’t you?”

 

_“Charlie, I’m worried about you. You used to be able to use your healing to make up for your lack of magic, but Nora burned right through that.’_

 

“I’m curious, what exactly is your point?”

 

Dante scoffed. _“You can dance around it all you want, but the fact that she was able to damage your essence proves what I’ve been saying this whole time. You are becoming vulnerable, and going off to fight wraiths is only going to make matters worse.”_

 

“You know damn well why I had to help Nora!”

 

“ _I know,”_ the hellhound said as he tried to calm down the demon, _“but I think it’s time that we start looking into more permanent solutions to your problem. We could go to J’onn and Kara-.”_

 

“No,” Charlie said as she cut off that train of thought, “I don’t need the angels. Going to heaven is my safest bet.”

 

As the demon sat down on her bed, Dante scooted over to her side. “ _If you insist._ ” After a moment of silence, he then asked another question. _“I have to ask though, are you sure that not telling Nora about her teacher is a good idea?”_

 

“Nora can never know the truth,” the demon sighed, “she considers Anna to be the pinnacle of humanity’s goodness. Telling her what she really was would destroy her, and I can’t do that.”

 

“After all,” the demon explained, “I made a promise.”

 

***

_It had been half an hour since the demon had landed in the small town, and in that time she had made it unrecognizable. Homes were burnt to the ground, crops were razed, and all life had been extinguished. Some had been brutally ripped apart, while others had been slowly burned alive. While she felt no sympathy for the good majority of those she killed, the witch did feel a hint of pity for the children. She knew that they were innocent (having not played a part in Nora’s death), and thus showed them mercy. However, this mercy came only in the form of a quicker death, as she instantly vaporized them, ensuring that they felt no pain and leaving only a shadow on the wall to park their existence._

 

_But now, as she held a large, bald, portly man by the neck, her revenge was coming to a close. This was the last man left in the town, and he was the man who ordered Nora’s execution. “Please,” he begged despite already knowing how futile it was, “you’ve killed everyone else, you don’t have to kill me!”_

 

_The demon read the man’s mind and was disgusted. “SHE didn’t beg and you killed her. Now your cowardice only serves to piss me off!”_

 

_“Please, no-.” The man was cut off as the demon opened her mouth and breathed fire at him. As he burned alive, she felt nothing but sweet satisfaction._

 

_“Well shit,” she heard a male voice behind her speak, “talk about overkill.”_

 

_Recognizing the sarcastic tone, the demon smiled and turned around. “Hello Cassiel. It is good to see you again.”_

 

_The sibling in question was a large, clearly fit (but not overly muscular) male with pure white skin, light, blonde hair, and piercing blue eyes. The demon wore simple commoner clothes, brown pants, a dirty, poofy, white shirt, and a pair of old, worn shoes. However, two articles of clothing separated them from a commoner. One was a blood-red cloak which included a similarly colored hood, and the other was a necklace which boasted a cable chain made of gold attached to ruby that was the size of their fist. The demon chuckled before speaking once more. “Indeed it has, though I’m afraid that I have changed my name in your absence.”_

 

_“Then what shall I call you now, my dear sibling?”_

 

_“You may now call me Charlie! Reverb told me that it would one day be a name used for both men and women.” Charlie’s form began to twist and change shape. Their pecs soon turned into breasts and their hair began to grow. Within seconds, their host had changed from man to woman. “Perfect for someone like me. The seers may be a little insane, but they are never wrong. Right, M’gann?” Despite the sorrow, she had to admit to herself that it was satisfying to hear her true name once more._

 

_“Yeah,” the demon said, remembering their warning about fire, “never wrong indeed.”_

 

_Charlie then walked around the town ruins, inspecting their sister’s handiwork. “So what did these guys do to piss you off then? Did they try to kill you or something?”_

 

_“They killed my...student.”_

 

_“Oh-ho-ho SHIT! You got pissed off over that? I thought you didn’t care about that stuff?”_

 

_M’gann grit her teeth. “This girl was different-,” Charlie made a whistle sound, “not like that! She was innocent, good. I just hope that she’s in a better place.”_

 

_“What are you talking about,” Charlie asked, “right now she’s in hell. Our brother, Damien, sent me up here to congratulate you on corrupting her.”_

 

_Something snapped inside of M’gann. “I’m sorry, did you say that she’s in hell?”_

 

_“Yep,” Charlie said, changing into a spitting image of Nora, “Damien gave me permission to help train her, and I must say that I’m actually quite excited. She is incredibly skilled. We all thought that spending 6 years topside made you soft, but boy did you deliver!” Transforming into a large, muscular, coffee-skinned man, Charlie unfolded her large black wings. “Wanna see what she has been up to? It’s actually really ...cool-.” Charlie stopped as they noticed M’gann’s sorrow. “What’s wrong? Do you have a few more stragglers to deal-.”_

 

_“I did this to her,” M’gann said plainly, “I’m the reason she’s in hell.”_

 

_Suddenly Charlie became confused. “What? No! You and I both know that these souls were going to hell anyway. All you did was give them a bit of use for when they arrived!”_

 

_“No,” M’gann growled, “Nora was GOOD! She loved life and she cared for others. But she was corrupted by magic- magic I TAUGHT HER, that turned her into a monster. If it wasn’t for me, she would be in heaven.”_

 

_“Oh my Mom! Don’t tell me that you actually cared about her!” When she didn’t answer, Charlie continued. “Holy shit, you actually did! Why?!? She was nothing but a child compared to you!”_

 

_M’gann roared at her sibling. “_ **_She was MY child!_ ** _” The demon reeled back as she finally accepted what she had already known in her heart for so long. “She showed me how to be good,” the witch explained, “that there was still a part of me that could love and be loved in kind.” Tears began to fall from M’gann’s face as she continued. “For the first time since the rebellion, I was able to trust someone. She EARNED that trust. And despite the magical corruption that ate at her soul, that mortal still tried to be good, even until the end. Her last act of magic, the spell that these people killed her for, was to make a child see again.”_

 

_At this point, Charlie began to get nervous. Demons who talk about doing the right thing rarely lasted long in Damien’s company. “M’gann, please. Think about what you’re saying. It’s just a human!”_

 

_The demon scoffed. “You know, we like to think that we are better than humans, but the truth is that we are less than them. All we demons do is tempt them, bring them nothing but sorrow, and torture them when they die. We don’t deserve to be celestials,” M’gann said as she shook her head, “we don’t even deserve to be humans. Tell me, Charlie do you know what we are?” Suddenly the demon’s vessel burned away to reveal her true white, monstrous form. “We are monsters.”_

 

_Hoping to calm their sister down, Charlie tried to appeal to her common sense. “Sister, please, I know that Damien’s a little bit...insane, but it’s our best option to not die. Plus, it’s not all that bad. All we need to do is bring a few souls to hell once in a while. What’s wrong with that?”_

 

_“We bring good people to eternal damnation! EVERYTHING IS WRONG WITH THAT!”_

 

_Realizing that there was only one way this would end, Charlie pleaded one last time. “Please,” they begged, “don’t make me do this. I don’t want to kill you.”_

 

_“I know,” she confessed, “and that makes this next part all the more painful.”_

 

_Charlie was confused. “What next part-?” The demon was cut off as M’gann quickly moved in front of them and placed her hand on their head. Suddenly, Charlie felt their mind being filled with memories. Memories of their sister and Nora, both the experiences and emotions. Within seconds, Charlie had all of M’gann’s memories of the last six years forced into her brain. The pain was unbearable, but as they opened their eyes, Charlie found that they could no longer move. Suddenly their arm began to raise until Charlie’s palm was aimed at their sister._

 

_Charlie tried to move the hand but it was to no avail. “I’m sorry to do this to you Charlie,” M’gann said sadly, “but this is the only way.”_

 

_“No, please. You don’t have to do this. Think about Nora. What she means to you.”_

 

_The demon smiled. “It’s not about what she means to me, it’s about what I am to her. She must believe that I was human. She can’t lose that tie to her humanity. I know that you don’t like to lie, so I’m not going to ask you to. Just don’t tell her.”_

 

_“Sister please!”_

 

_“Promise me you will do what is best for her.”_

 

_“I won’t.”_

 

_“DO IT!”_

 

_As the memories started flooding through their head, Charlie began to understand how their sister felt, and how much this meant to her. “I-I will, M’gann.”_

 

_Smiling, M’gann finally looked at peace. “Thank you Charlie. But I’m afraid I go by Anna now.” She snapped her fingers and Charlie launched a fireball at her. As the demon’s essence burned away, Charlie looked down at their hands…_

 

_Horrified by what they had done._

  


***Epilogue***

 

As Charlie and Zari slept, many strange occurrences happened all over town.

 

Sara Lance woke in the middle of the night. She had sensed an unfamiliar presence in her bedroom and had woken to face it. However, when she opened her eyes, she saw that there was no one there. Now, while this may have satisfied the majority of normal people, Sara Lance was ANYTHING but normal. After checking to make sure her girlfriend was okay, the bartender got out of bed and silently made her way down to the kitchen. It was there that she discovered a white envelope with the word ‘Sara’ written on it in fancy writing. Opening it, Sara read the letter:

 

Dear Beloved,

 

While it has been many long, cold years since your departure, it warms my heart to hear from you once again. As you know, usage of our armories is reserved exclusively to those in our employ. While we were willing to let you leave our organization with no strings attached, your usage of our equipment tonight creates a debt, and a debt must be repaid.

 

However, I would encourage you to see this not as a punishment, but as an opportunity for reconnection. While I can admit that you have chosen your bed-mate well, I am curious as to who it is that she is in love with; the Sara Lance you choose to be, or the true Sara Lance? You shame yourself into concealing your true identity, and it breaks my heart. Why would you hide what makes you so beautiful? I beg of you to please keep an open mind. We may not have parted on the best of terms, but perhaps the winds of fate can bring us back together again.

 

Love, always and forever,

-N

 

PS: while I am impressed with the thoroughness of your home security system, I feel as though there is room for improvement. Enclosed is directions and ideas to make getting in next time a little more difficult. I only want the best for you.

 

***

As Mick Rory slept in his bed, he was plagued by nightmares that seemed all too real. However, while he would dismiss these as mere dreams, they were a sign of days to come.

 

_The legends, backed by an army of light, staring down a great evil._

 

_Zari Tomaz sadistically laughing as she beat her friends within an inch of their lives._

 

_Charlie, the demon, laughing as she disintegrated into ash._

 

***

Across town, two demons met to discuss the events of that night. One was a female with dark skin and blue eyeshadow. The other was a skinny pale man with raggedy hair.

 

“Did you get the recording?”

 

The woman presented her camcorder. “Got the whole thing on camera. Caught some of the fight too.”

 

“Did Charlie kill her?”

 

The demon smiled. “Nope. She let her go. You know what that means!”

 

The male demon rolled his eyes. “Fine, which do you want? The jaguar or the corvette?”

 

“Bitch, you think I’d be satisfied with those trinkets? I want the fucking Bentley.”

 

“Fine,” the demon said, handing over the keys, “you’re busting my balls though, you know that?”

 

“Sucks to suck.”

 

“Poor kid, doomed to fail from the start.”

 

“Oh trust me, Damien wants Charlie dead, but he wants to do it himself.”

 

“So what do we do now.”

 

“Now,” the female demon said, “we wait.”

 

“Then what?”

 

“It’ll be time for phase two.”

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that was my ‘season finale’ of sorts. I’m planning on having the next few chapters build up Zari and Charlie’s relationship before ending with a Christmas/New Year’s thing.
> 
> However, I wouldn’t be planning anything if it weren’t for all of you. I started this fic on a whim and now it has grown into my own little passion project. You all have shown me such kindness. Your kudos, comments, bookmarks, and even hits all inspire me to write better. I have gone from being afraid of writing to having the third longest zarlie fanfic, and it is all thanks to your support. I can not speak for other fanfic writers, but I’d like to believe that it is readers like you that keep us going.  
> Thank you.  
> PS: here’s a little fun fact for those comic fans out there! You may have figured out that the storage depot was a Leage of Assassin’s hideout based on the fact that it was shady as ****, but there were also little clues that gave it away. The unit number 215 refers to Strange Adventures #215: the first appearance of the League of Assassins. The code 1-9-6-8 is the year the issue came out. Pretty neat-o huh?


	9. Nate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nathaniel Heywood finally returns from his month-long trip, only to learn that things have changed in his absence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is part of a much longer chapter. I cut it up and plan to release all the parts over the next few days. As usual, leave comments/kudos/constructive criticism at your discretion.  
> I don’t own Legends of Tomorrow, but I wish I did.

(Waverider Bar: Monday, October 15th)

“I’ll admit that the CGI was a little bit questionable at points and that the plot was a little by-the-numbers,” Ray explained, “but I have to admit, I actually enjoyed it.”

 

Zari scoffed as she rolled her eyes. She had listened to Sara and Ray go back and forth for the last hour and a half, and they were nowhere close to coming to a conclusion. Looking around the bar, the hacker noticed that it was unusually packed. While normally she would question this (it was, after all, a Monday), Zari had a fairly good guess as to why that was. Recently, her demonic roommate had begun to do regular performances for the bar and tonight was one such scheduled days. So far she had performed every Monday, Wednesday and Friday for the past month, with Saturdays and Sundays reserved for if she’s in the mood. Now, while one might expect that the revelation of said performer being a 13 billion year-old hellspawn (whose previous work experience includes the torturing of damned souls) to be a pretty justifiable reason to terminate their employment, Sara decided to keep letting her perform. 

 

This was because of two reasons. The first was that she had never actually paid the demon in the first place, so there were no financial negatives to letting her keep playing. That way, Sara could have regular musical performances from someone with thousands of years worth of experience for absolutely free. The other reason was the huge crowd she had began to attract with each show. Over the past month, more and more people flocked to see the “Beethoven of the Waverider Bar.” Charlie’s skill with the piano was unmatched, and her voice was described on multiple occasions to be “angelic” (Zari would almost laugh at the irony). However, it wasn’t JUST the music that got people interested; for that honor belonged to Charlie herself. As much as Zari hated to admit it, the demon had the unbridled charisma of a lovechild between P. T. Barnum and Freddy Mercury. She knew how to work a crowd, almost never turned down a song request, and managed to get the audience to sing along. It also helped that she was as alluring as a succubus, a fact which attracted both men and women. The audience she brought in was also insanely profitable, with each performance bringing in THREE TIMES the bar’s old average daily profit.

 

“I’m not saying that you can’t like it,” Sara retorted, “what I’m saying is that it wasn’t all that good.” The bartender shook her head as she made a martini. “I mean, look at it from a story angle. You have two main characters who don’t even meet until a good bit into the movie, they barely have any on-screen positive interaction, then suddenly the two became odd-couple esque best friends? It’s completely unrealistic. The audience can’t relate with that!” Serving the drink to the bar patron, Sara crossed her arms. “Here, I’ll prove it. Hey Gary!”

 

The clumsy bartender turned to Sara. “What’s up boss?”

 

“You’ve seen Venom, right?”

 

Gary smiled and walked over. “Oh yeah, saw it opening night.”

 

“Don’t you agree that it wasn’t THAT good of a movie?”

 

“What? No! I thought it was awesome!”

 

“Alright,” Ray exclaimed as he held out his fist, “Venom bros!”

 

Gary happily returned the fist bump as Sara expression turned to one of betrayal. “Dang it Gary! You were supposed to agree with me.”

 

Ava sipped from her glass of whiskey. “You are all so childish.”

 

“What about you, Mick?”

 

“It had monsters fighting monsters. I liked it.”

 

Huffing, Sara turned to the last remaining lifeline she had. “Zari, I know you agree with me. I mean come on! Eddie and the symbiotie only know each other for a few days and suddenly he’s okay with living with something that FUCKING EATS PEOPLE? You have to know that’s wrong on so many levels!”

 

Zari smirked and raised her eyebrow. “Do I really need to remind you about who I live with? Charlie’s a demon and she still saved all our asses.”

 

“Traitors, all of you.”

 

“Hold up babe,” Ava interrupted, “I actually have a question for Zari.”

 

“Well then, fire away.”

 

“Who would you rather have as a roommate: the venom symbiote or Charlie?”

 

Zari seemed to contemplate this before answering. “Even though having superpowers would be kick-ass,” she explained, “I would have to go with Charlie. She’s actually not as bad as you would think.”

 

After taking an order from one of the other patrons, Sara asked, “how so?”

 

“Well, from what I’ve heard, she’s actually quite good at teaching children…”

 

*** (several weeks ago)

 

“Alright children,” the demon asked her class, “can anyone tell me what we have learned today?” All the children raised their hands. “Nina, would you like to answer?”

 

The young girl smiled. “Today we learned that there are no truly good people in history.”

 

“And why is that ...Michael?”

 

The young boy answered. “Because history is only written by winners who make themselves look good.”

 

Charlie smiled with glee. “Very good Michael! Now Leah,” a small African-American girl looked over to her teacher, “could you tell the class why these people would want to make themselves look better?” The young girl tried to answer, but she started stuttering. The teacher walked over to the girl’s desk and squatted down so she was eye-level with her. “It’s okay,” she said with gentle sympathy, “take your time, I know you can do it.”

 

“B-b-because th-they would r...rather have people th-think they were h-heroes instead of genocidal m-m-monsters.”

 

“Well well well,” the demon said happily, “sounds like someone paid attention to my lesson about Christopher Columbus.” She looked over to the clock. “Well, it seems that we have about 15 minutes left in class. Personally, I think you lot have done great, so I say we finish the class outside. Who’s with me?” As the class cheered, the demon simply beamed at her students. She was quite proud of them.

 

*** (back to present day)

 

“And,” Zari continued, “as far as I know, she hasn’t killed or eaten anyone since she arrived here. Plus, she doesn’t talk about how she tortured people in hell so at least she’s considerate.” Taking a sip from her soda, Zari’s eyes widened as she remembered. “Actually,” she clarified, “that’s not entirely true. She HAS told me about Hitler.”

 

Suddenly all the legends stopped what they were doing and devoted all their attention to her. “Zari,” Ava said excitedly, “as our friend you are honor-bound to tell us how Hitler is being tortured.”

 

Zari rolled her eyes. “From what Charlie told me, it seems like every demon has tortured him at least once. That way he can experience each unique form of torture that every demon specializes in.”

 

“So what did Charlie do?”

 

“Well, Charlie apparently get SUPER turned on by ironic circumstances.” She took another sip from her drink. “So when she noticed that he was an absolute egomaniac, she put him into a machine that forced him to acknowledge just how meaningless his existence was when compared to the grand scheme of the universe.”

 

“Oh man,” Sara said, feeling a sneaking sense of approval towards the demon, “if Hitler gets that, what do you think we would get?”

 

“I wouldn’t worry about it. I didn’t ask Charlie all that much with regards to the structure of hell, but from what she implied, I’m pretty sure Hitler was in a special section. I don’t think any of us normies would get that treatment.”

 

“Well that’s good. I don’t think Sara could stand watching Venom for all eternity.”

 

“Alright RAY! I see how it is! Y’all decided to gang up on me, but I’m still right!”

 

“While you may have some legitimate points, the vote is still four to one in favor of Venom being awesome.”

 

Suddenly a voice spoke behind them. “Make that five to one, actually.” Everyone turned around to see a tall, handsome, caucasisn man in a Star Wars shirt and jeans.

 

“Nate,” Ray said happily as he jumped up to give his best friend a hug, “you’re back! I missed you so much!”

 

Nate laughed as the two shared a loving bro-hug (three seconds together, then two hearty pats on the back before cordial separation). “Good to see you too, buddy.”

 

“When did you get in?”

 

“Just about an hour ago,” Nate replied, sitting down in one of the vacant barstools, “I wanted to surprise you guys. Plus, I wanted to have a taste of home after being away so long.”

 

“Aww,” Zari said sarcastically, “I knew you had a soft spot for us.”

 

“Where else would I go? Everyone who's smart knows that this is the best restaurant in town.” Nate smirked as he turned to Sara. “The usual, please.”

 

“You got it.” The bartender turned to a small window that connected to the kitchen and ‘dinged’ a silver desk bell. Within seconds, Gideon appeared. “Hey Gideon, Nate’s back and he wants ‘the usual’. Let’s see if we can’t make this a proper homecoming?”

 

“Right away, Miss Lance.” And with that, Gideon disappeared to prepare the meal.

 

Nate pulled out his wallet to pay the usual $12.35 that he owed, but Sara stopped him. “Don’t worry, it’s on the house tonight.”

 

“Sara, please. I already get free beer here, I’ll feel bad if I don’t pay for it.”

 

The bartender rolled her eyes as she accepted the money. “Fine.” After putting the money into the register, she began to fill a glass with his normal choice in beer. “So, how was your month-long business trip?”

 

“Well,” Nate smiled, “if by ‘business trip’ you mean ‘spending a month working in close quarters with L-corp’s CEO and the new head of technology from Wayne Enterprises’, then I would say-.”

 

At this point, the only person who wasn’t freaking out was Mick. “Hold up,” Ava interrupted him, “are you serious?”

 

Nate was as giddy as a kid about to visit Disney World. “Yep! They all want to go in on a joint business venture together.” 

 

Zari thought for a moment. “Wait a minute, if you were meeting with the head of the technology division, does that mean-?”

 

Nate leaned back a bit. “Yep, as soon as everything’s approved,” he pointed at Zari and Ray, “your two departments are going to get a whole lot bigger, and get a LOT more funding.”

 

Mick sighed. “Well goody for you, I guess.”

 

“Oh don’t think you’re not a part of this, Mick. All these companies are setting up new divisions in town and are going to need some help getting the buildings ready. I may have name-dropped your company a few times because I know you’ll do the best.”

 

Mick then raised his beer. “Well then, to Nate,”

 

The legends all raised their beers as well. “To Nate!”

 

Sara laughed as she made another order. “Man, I can’t believe you got to work with Lena FUCKING Luthor!”

 

“I know, I managed to get her to autograph a poster for you.”

 

As Nate, Zari and Ray all chuckled, Ava looked confused. “I’m sorry, is there something I don’t know about?”

 

“Oh,” Zari answered, “well before you and Sara got together, she had a MASSIVE celebrity crush on Lena Luthor.”

 

“Oh did she now? Should I be concerned?”

 

Sara walked over and continued mixing drinks next to Ava. “She’s the CEO of one of the most powerful companies in the world,” she justified, “and as a female business owner, I admire her for it.” She shrugged her shoulders. “Plus, I kinda have a thing for powerful, independent women.”

 

Ava smirked. “Do you now?”

 

“Absolutely, why do you think I’m dating you?”

 

“Smooth as ever Sara,” the businessman smiled, “smooth as ever.”

 

Suddenly the door to the kitchen opened and Gideon walked out to greet Nate with his meal; a burger with a juicy, medium-cooked steak for a patty (with lettuce, tomatoes and ketchup) and a side of crispy, golden-brown French fries. Gideon put the plate down in front of Nate as he stood up to give her a hug. “It is good to have you back, Mr. Heywood.”

 

“Good to BE home, Gideon. No matter how long I’m gone, your cooking always brings me back.”

 

Gideon smiled as she returned to the kitchen and Nate sat down to take a bite of his burger. “Well,” Ray said, “I, for one, am amazed that you got to work with the great Lucius Fox.”

 

Nate shook his head as he spoke between bites. “Fox is CEO now, remember? I met with his replacement: Kate Kane.”

 

Zari almost spit out her drink. “I’m sorry...did you say Kate Kane?”

 

“Yeah, why?”

 

“I just...am a huge fan. Yeah.” Outwardly the hacker was smiling, but on the inside she was freaking out. ‘Why did it have to be Kate Kane?”

 

Nate shrugged. “Well, enough about me. How have you guys been? I’m just dying to meet Anna.” Suddenly the rest of the legends looked at each other in silent panic as they realized that no one had actually told Nate about Nora and…

 

Suddenly the lights dimmed as a single spotlight shined down on the small stage and the piano that was on it. “Ladies and gentlemen,” a pre-recorded message announced, “are you ready for tonight’s entertainment.”

 

Nate turned around, fascinated by the spectacle. “Oh sweet, Sara, you got someone to play piano?”

 

At the same time, Sara, Ava, Zari, Mick and Ray looked at each other with a collective ‘oh shit, we forgot to tell Nate.’

 

“Hey Nate,” the hacker said nervously, “maybe we should get out of here. I just don’t think you’ll like it.”

 

“Oh come on, now I’m interested.”

 

The announcement continued. “Please give it up for CHAAAAARRRRRLLLLLIIIIIEEEE!”

 

There was a large round of applause as the demon stepped out on stage. She wore black leather boots that went up to her knees, faded skinny jeans, a black tank top and a leather jacket. While she was walking out, Nate’s jaw was hitting the floor. “What the fu-?”

 

Charlie smiled with her black lipstick and perfect teeth as she grabbed a microphone. “Good evening, everybody,” the demon said, falling back on her British accent to distance herself from Amaya, “How are we all doing this evening.” There was another round of cheering. “Well based on that I’d say pretty good. I must confess that I am happy you lot are here as well.” The demon continued as she removed her leather jacket. “Now, I don’t know about you, but I think I see a few new faces. Do me a favor and raise your hand if this is your first show!” Zari counted about ten hands that shot up. “Well now,” Charlie said as she set the jacket on the piano, “it is my absolute pleasure to welcome you to tonight’s performance.” She then walked around and sat on the piano stool. “Allow me to tell you how this works. Right now it is 8:30, and we go until 10. I’m going to play some tunes, put a little life into the night. If you have a song request, please visit our two beautiful bartenders and have them send me a drink. Write the request on a napkin and I’ll see if I can get to it.” Charlie then put her finger at the bottom note and dragged it to the top. “As always, thank you for coming, enjoy your evening, and have a good time as I pay a few of my favorites.”

 

Charlie played a series of ascending notes before leaning into a microphone.

_ At first I was afraid, I was petrified. _

_ Kept thinking I could never live without you by my side. _

_ But then I spent so many nights thinking how you did me wrong. _

_ And I grew strong. _

_ And I learned how to get along! _

 

As the demon got into the rhythm of the song, Nate turned back to the group. “Okay, that is NOT Amaya!”

 

“Yeahhhhh…” Sara said awkwardly, “a few things may have happened while you were away.”

 

“Was Amaya replaced with a shapeshifter that decided to keep her form so that you wouldn’t send it back to whatever dark hole it came from?”

 

“What? No. That’s ins-. You know what, let’s just go to the back room. We’ll explain there.”

 

***(10:05)

Charlie smirked as Zari opened the door to the back room. After the demon finished the show (quite spectacularly, she might add), the mortal had grabbed her by the hand and began dragging her to the other end of the bar. “Alright, before we do this I have to know; are you one of those that likes dragged out foreplay or do like to just get in there primal sty-?” The demon stopped as she Nate and the legends were waiting for her. She nodded her head. “Oh I get it, you lot want an orgy. Trust me, I get it.” Charlie then wrapped her arm around Zari’s shoulders, only to have her push them off. “Listen, I’ll admit that I might have wanted it to just be Me and Zari when we finally…” she whistled, “but after what happened last Friday, I’m up for it. Hell, you even brought square jawed here to replace Constantine.”

 

Nate turned to Sara. “THIS is the demon that’s inside Amaya?”

 

“Yeah, I’m-.” Suddenly she squinted at Nate. “Hold up,” Charlie said as she moved closer, “I feel like I know you from somewhere.” The demon snapped her fingers as a satisfied look came over her. “I remember! There’s a picture of you in my room! You must have known Amaya!”

 

The bartender sighed as she spoke to the demon. “Charlie, this is Nate Heywood: Amaya’s ex-boyfriend.”

 

“Ohhhhhh booooyyyyy,” the demon dragged out as she stepped away from Nate, “I did not need this today.” After closing her eyes and taking a few deep breaths, Charlie turned back and offered a handshake. “Hi there, my name’s Charlie. I’m a demon and it is a pleasure to meet you.”

 

The businessman returned the gesture on instinct (his mind had completely gone blank and it was the only thing that he could think of to do). “H-...hi? Um… thank you for saving my friends.”

 

“You’re welcome. It’s nice to receive some appreciation once in a while.”

 

The man smiled, but it quickly faded as his thoughts returned to him. “I’m sorry, I know these guys have asked already but is there-?”

 

“Sorry mate, Amaya was already gone when I entered this body. I wish I could lie and say that a little part of her was still in me, begging and screaming to be let out, but I can’t. Zari may be having me live her life, but make no mistake; the only thing in this body is me.”

 

“And you thought this...sexed up, 70’s rock star look was Amaya? Or is that just what you all wear down there?”

 

“I-...” the demon trailed off as she looked down at her current attire. “You know what? I’ll take that. You have every right to feel the way you do right now. You two were in love.”

 

“How could you possibly have any idea as to what she felt?”

 

Charlie raised her hands defensively. “She had your pictures. Sara said you were her ex, but she still kept all of her pictures of you. I don’t know how long you two were split up, but it seemed like she still had feelings for you. And based on how you looked at me, I’m guessing you feel the same way.” The demon swallowed nervously. “I’ve...never fallen in love before so I don’t really know how you feel, but I-.”

 

“You’re right,” Nate scoffed as he backed away, “you have no idea what I feel, so don’t bother trying to relate.” He shook his head. “Ya know, it’s fitting that you play piano covers in your little shows because no matter how much you try to act like her, you will never be Amaya. Amaya was good, and brought beauty to those around her. So far all you’ve brought is death and heartbreak. I can accept you being here because you saved the people that I consider family. Hell, I can even accept your little Dr. Faustus deal with Zari, because it’s her decision to do so. But do not think for a second that you, your slutty outfits, or your little performances that feed your egomania, are anything but disappointments to her memory.” 

 

Sara tried to reach out to him. “Nate, I-.”

 

“I’m sorry guys, it's just…” he shook his head, “I should go. I can’t do this tonight.” Nate then walked to the exit, bumping the demon’s shoulder along the way and slamming the door as he left.

 

After a moment of silence, Ray spoke. “I’m...I’m going to see if I can catch up with him.”

 

“Ray you don’t need to.”

 

“Z, right now my best friend is hurting and he needs someone to be there for him. As the only other person who’s significant other has turned into a hellspawn, I’m the only one who can understand.” Nobody objected so Ray quickly left out the door.

 

“Hey Sara,” the demon said quietly, “can I cancel the shows for this week? I’m not really in the mood to play after…”

 

“No problem.” Sara and the others then began to slowly file out of the back room, leaving Charlie alone.


	10. Invitation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zari receives an invitation to a party while Charlie works to remedy the situation with Nate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part two of the big chapter. I don’t own legends but I wish I did.

(Tuesday, 12:30PM)

“Man, Charlie,” Kara said as she sat down, “you look like shit.”

 

The demon smirked at her sister. “Thank you for that. Always happy to be reminded of the ‘heavenly kindness’ you cloud-hoppers are famous for.” The demon winced as the noise from the active lunchroom gave her a headache. 

 

The angel rolled her eyes. “We’re family, we’re allowed to be frank with each other. So what happened?”

 

“Remember how I said that revealing my identity to Zari’s friends was going well?” Kara nodded. Charlie had told her and J’onn about what had happened with Nora two days ago. While they questioned her decision to reveal her status as a demon (and for releasing Nora into the world), they ultimately respected her wishes. Especially after said demon pulled out a Molotov in the middle of the meeting and threatened to set fire to the room if they didn’t agree with her.

 

***(Kara’s apartment, Sunday October 14th)

“Oh really,” the demon asked, “you think THAT’S a bad idea?” She then reached into her bag and pulled out a large bottle full of clear liquid with a cloth hanging from the end. “How’s THIS for a bad idea?”

 

Kara backed away as the demon pulled out a lighter. “Charlie, for the love of Mom, do not fire bomb my apartment!”

 

***(present day)

The demon sighed. “Well, one of said friends finally came home yesterday and they told him all about me.”

 

“I’m not seeing a problem here.”

 

“Turns out it was this body’s ex-boyfriend,” Charlie shook her head, “and he did NOT take it well.”

 

“Oh jeez, that’ll do it.”

 

“Yeah, it’s kinda been sticking with me all day. Hell,” she admitted, “I actually kinda feel bad for the guy.” Charlie cleared her throat before continuing. “Can I ask you something?”

 

“Anything, dear sibling.”

 

“Do you think there is any way I could...apologize to him or something?”

 

“My my,” Kara smirked, “if I didn’t know better, I would say that you’re trying to do a good thing.”

 

“Fuck off, sister. It’s not like that.”

 

“Then how would you describe it?”

 

Charlie sighed. “Zari has spent the last month lying to her friends, and it has made her miserable. I was thinking that if I could do something to lessen my effect on her hife, then she may be more amicable to what I want.”

 

The angel shook her head. ‘Sure,’ she thought, ‘that’s the reason.’ However, she still decided to give some advice. “Look, if I were you, I would make a peace offering or something. That way you pave the road to a more productive dialogue.”

 

“I didn’t listen to that much of what you said,” the demon smiled as she pulled out her new phone, “but if you’re saying I should bribe him, then I’m on board.”

 

‘Why do I even try?’ The angel asked herself.

 

Charlie quickly dialed the number and brought the phone to her ear. “Hey Mick, ol’ pal, are you busy?” There was a brief silence before she smiled. “Great. Now, I heard that back in the day you specialized in the art of discreet entertaining. Is this true? Excellent. Meet me at your place tonight at 8, you and I are about to have some fun.”

 

***(Wednesday, 5:30 PM)

Zari opened the door of her apartment, finally home after an annoying day of work. While she had expected the resident demon to be watching tv, this time it was different. Normally she would come home to find her watching some mindless action movie or a porno (which led to the creation of the ‘mandatory clothing in the common area’ rule), but this time she was watching the news.

 

_ “While police are still looking for the culprit behind last night’s series of medical laboratory break-ins, we have been told that there is currently little risk for public safety. Despite the wide array of chemicals and equipment that was stolen, we are told that there is no known way it could be weaponized. However, this begs the question as to what these robbers plan. This is Linda Park, signing off.” _

 

“Oh yeah,” the mortal said as she sat down, “I heard about this today.”

 

“Really?” The demon asked.

 

“Yeah, Ray, Curtis, Felicity and I spent our whole lunch trying to figure out what they could use it for. Guess we were lucky Heywood Tech wasn’t hit-,” Zari chuckled as Dante hopped into her lap and began to lick her excitedly. “Hey there buddy, how are you today?”

 

“You know, if it weren’t for the fact that he would outlive you,” the demon said, “I would honestly give him to you, Z. He’s pretty old and has met a lot of people in his life, but I think you’re the first one he’s gone Ga-Ga over.”

 

The mortal continued to speak in a baby voice. “Awwww, and how old ARE you ‘wittle buddy?”

 

“Well, I met him over five thousand years ago, so...”

 

Zari stopped and just stared at the dog before her, eyes as wide as dinner plates. “Oh damn, he’s old.”

 

“Not really,” Charlie chuckled, “celestial canines can live for a LONG time if they are taken care of. By normal hellhound standards, he’s still a puppy.” She reached over and scratched behind the corgi’s ears. “Who's a good puppy,” the demon said as she mimicked Zari’s voice, “you are! Yes you are! I can’t wait to see you grow!”

 

“What the hell do you mean ‘grow?’ I thought you said it’s real form was the size of a goddamn bear?”

 

“Puppies grow up, Z. He may be small now, but our little Dante can get much bigger.” The demon turned off the TV as she explained. “Right now he is in the form of a corgi, but that’s just a proportional disguise; something to mark his size when compared to other dogs.”

 

“Alright, then. Out of curiosity, what form will he have when he’s fully grown?”

 

“My guess? Probably a St. Bernard, but his real form would be the size of a small house.”

 

‘Oh shit,’ Zari thought to herself. Suddenly the mortal’s phone started ringing in her purse. “God damn it.” After quickly (yet gently) putting Dante on the ground, the mortal reached into her purse and pulled out her ringing phone to see that it was none other than Nate Heywood. She hesitated for a second, but decided to answer it. Despite what had happened on Monday, they were still friends. “Hey man,” Zari said as she leaned back in her chair, “What’s up?”

 

“ _ Hey Z _ ,” Nate said, sounding a little nervous over the phone, “ _ I-. I just want to start off by saying that I want to apologize for my behavior a few days ago. I said a lot of stupid shit and I’m sorry… I-. _ ”

 

Zari shook her head. To say that Nate took the whole ‘Zari’s-considering-making-a-deal-with-a-demon’ thing badly would be considered an understatement. “Look Nate,” the mortal noticed Charlie turned away at the mention of his name, “it’s okay. Believe it or not, I understand how you feel.” She sighed. ‘More than you can ever know,’ she thought to herself. “I understand if you need time, but I want you to know that I’ll be here for you.”

 

“ _ Actually, that brings me to what I was going to say next. _ ” Zari watched as Charlie walked over to the kitchen, Dante following closely behind. “ _ Are you doing anything Friday night? _ ”

 

“No, why?”

 

“ _ Well, H-Tech is holding a celebratory dinner in honor of our partnership with L-Corp and Wayne enterprises. There’s going to be a bunch of tech-wizzes there and I was wondering if you could be my plus-one. _ ”

 

“Okay…why me though?”

 

Zari heard a sigh. “ _ I need you to tell me what the heck it is they’re talking about… _ ” The hacker started chuckling. “ _ Come on Z, _ ” he whined, “ _ I just need someone with me who knows how to speak English. _ ”

 

“You mean: use shorter words... Why don’t you ask Ray? He’s better at this stuff than I am.”

 

“ _ I-ummm… _ ” he paused. “ _ I wanted to give him some space too. The man just found out his girlfriend was over a thousand years old. Just thought he could use a little less stress. _ ”

 

While Zari could have argued against it, she knew that Nate was right. “I’ll check my calendar real quick and text you if I can make it.”

 

“ _ Alright, see you later, Z _ .”

 

“See ya’, man.” 

 

The mortal ended the call and pulled up her calendar app. “So,” the demon asked, “what was that about?”

 

“It was Nate. He asked me if I wanted to go to this party with him.”

 

“Well how ‘bout that?” Charlie said happily as she opened the refrigerator. “Zari’s finally going to get some!”

 

Zari scoffed. “It’s not like that. Nate and I are just friends.”

 

The sound of a beer can opening filled the apartment. “Friends who just happen to invite each other to parties?” The demon then made her way over.

 

“He asked me because he wants my help.”

 

“So then why are you hesitating?” Zari raised her eyebrow. “The minute I started talking to you,” Charlie pointed out as she sat down on the couch, “you stopped what you were doing and put your phone down.”

 

The mortal looked down to see that she had, in fact, set her phone face-down on the coffee table. “It’s called having good manners.”

 

“It’s also called ‘turning to literally anything else in order to pull your attention away from what’s bothering you.’” The demon smirked as it became clear that she made a good point.

 

“Oh please, like I’m going to take advice from someone who can quote every line of  _ Hellraiser _ .”

 

“How is that a bad thing?”

 

“Plus, it’s on a Friday night! I have...things I could do!” Zari would be lying if she said she hadn’t thought about the idea of her and Nate together, but it was only ever that: a thought. The truth is that while she could see the two of them as a good couple, it didn’t feel right. At this point the bonds they shared were so great that, even if she was attracted to him, she could only ever see him as a friend (or as a billionaire superhero/woman in the chair crime fighting duo). In another lifetime it could have worked out, but not this one.

 

Suddenly Dante walked up to the two of them and started barking. While she would simply excuse this as Dante ‘just being a dog,’ the way he barked made it sound like he was trying to communicate. When he was done, Zari turned to Charlie. “What did he say?”

 

Charlie sighed. “He said that he thought you should go. Right now, the best thing you can do is be a friend. If you go and you two feel some kind of connection, then it’s okay. Let him know he can recover from his loss.” Dante barked some more and the demon interpreted it. “I’m not saying that you two should immediately go find a closet and have sex, that helps no one. Be sure to know what is appropriate. However, you should, at the very least, offer support in his time of emotional need. Perhaps being there for each other will help both of you through the grieving process.”

 

Zari almost teared up. “Th-Thank you Dante.”

 

The hellhound barked some more. “He also says,” the demon chuckled, “that he knows for a fact that you don’t actually have plans on Friday. Plus he’s rich so you know the food’s gonna be kick-ass.” The mortal looked at Charlie, clearly disappointed. “What? He said it.”

 

Shaking her head, Zari picked up her phone.

 

**_ZeeQueen_ ** _ : Just checked my calendar and it looks good.  _

 

**_RealSteel_ ** _ : AWESOME! I’m sending you more info for Friday. Can I pick you up at 7:30? _

 

**_ZeeQueen_ ** _ : Sounds good, see you then. _

 

Zari then looked at the phone as her evite came in. “Oh come on,” she said to herself.

 

“What’s wrong?”

 

“It’s a black-tie event. That means I need I REALLY nice dress. A dress which I, unfortunately, do not have.”

 

Charlie smirked. “Why don’t you see if you can get off work early tomorrow so we can go shopping? I know a few people who can help.”

 

“Really? You’d do that?”

 

“I don’t see why not,” the demon shrugged. “I’ve been meaning to find the right look for this body. Plus, you can finally fulfill your promise to help me find new clothes.”


	11. Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Friday rolls around, Nate arrives to pick Zari up for the party. Later on, the hacker has a conversation with a very powerful woman with a very secretive problem.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters in one day? What can I say? I’m in a good mood. Feel free to leave kudos/comments/constructive criticism. I don’t own legends but I wish I did.

(Friday 7:30 PM)

The hacker sighed as she opened the door. She had known that Nate planned to drive her to the event, but while she was expecting (based on movies she had seen) a sports car or something, she was not prepared to see an honest-to-God limo. The black car was easily as long as her living room, a fact which made her shake her head. ‘I get he’s rich,’ Zari thought, ‘but did he have to go with something that just screams overcompensation’? 

 

Closing the door behind her, the hacker walked to the rear of the limo and opened the door. Stepping inside, Zari noticed that Nate was the only other person in the car. He was wearing a professional black suit with a white shirt and a red tie. In a way, he actually looked kind of adorable: like a penguin. After signaling the driver, Nate looked at her like a deer in headlights. “Wow Z,” he said breathlessly, “you look...wow.”

 

The girl smiled as she looked down at her dress. It was a long outfit that went down to her ankles, with the skirt starting at her waistline. The strapless dress also managed to fit her torso perfectly and the soft, dark-red fabric made it feel like a second skin. “You can thank the demon, she had it made just for me.”

 

“Wait, didn’t you two go dress shopping yesterday?”

 

“Yeah, So?”

 

“It doesn’t make sense. If you two only went to the dress maker’s once and you bought it then, then how could she have it be custom made? Custom dresses need measurements done, don’t they? How in the world could she have known that?”

 

Zari sighed as she explained the answer.

 

***(several weeks ago)

“Come on,” the demon said slyly, “betcha’ ten bucks I can do it.”

 

Zari rolled her eyes as she ate her Chinese food. This dinner conversation was taking a strange turn for the worse. “No thank you,” she said calmly, “I’m not going to let a doped-out demon try to guess my measurements.”

 

Charlie looked offended. “First of all: it would take more than a few lines to get me ‘drugged out’ as you would say. Secondly: this cocaine SUUUUCCKKKSS! it has enough baking soda in it to make a cake! And third: guessing measurements is like a goddamn superpower of mine.”

 

“It’s still a no, Charlie.”

 

The demon rolled her eyes. “Fine,” she relented, “you don’t have to tell me if I’m right, but I’m still gonna guess.”

 

“I’m not sure that’s a good idea-.” Charlie then proceeded to list off a series of numbers. When she was finished, the mortal almost looked as red as a tomato. “Goddamnit Charlie…”

 

“Ha! What did I say? It’s like a superpower!”

 

***(back in the present)

Zari scowled as she caught Nate starting to chuckle. “Yeah, yeah,” she said sarcastically, “laugh it up.”

 

Nate shook his head. “I’m sorry. It’s just weird to imagine Amaya’s body saying that shit.”

 

“Oh, you think THAT’S crazy?”

 

***(sometime in the past month)

“Alright Charlie,” Zari said carefully, “do you remember the order?”

 

The demon rolled her eyes as the two sat in the coffee shop. The mortal had brought here to teach her how to order in a restaurant. While Charlie had, in fact, been to a restaurant before, her description of ‘it’s like a brothel for food’ elicited some concern. “I remember the creation of your galaxy, of course I remember the goddamn order.”

 

“Fine. I’ll come with you.”

 

The two stepped into the shop and the demon walked up to the counter where a large teenager sat behind the cash register. “Excuse me, may I have-,”

 

“Hey, lady,” the man said rudely, “I have less than a minute until I’m on break. Can’t you wait for a second?”

 

Despite her desire to rip the welp in half for his insolence, the presence of Zari forced her to act more appropriately. “Look, Sir, I just want my coffee. Is this going to be a problem for you?”

 

The young man huffed and rolled his eyes. “Fine, put my balls in a vise, why don’t you? What do you want?” After taking her order, the man made one last mistake. “Hey little miss edgelord,” the barista said as he looked at her punk attire, “what’ll be the name on the order?”

 

The demon, having decided that she was one-hundred-percent-DONE with this shit, tilted her head back and opened her mouth. What followed was the most horrible sound anyone had ever heard. None of those who heard it could properly recall EXACTLY what it sounded like, but the closest approximation seemed to be a combination of a dinosaur roar, one thousand crying babies, and nails on chalk. The sheer volume made many in close proximity collapse in pain, and caused every dog for a thousand miles to shake in fear. As the noise continued, all the glass in the shop (including the windows) began to shatter and all electronics began to short out. After ten horrible seconds, the demon closed her mouth. 

 

“Oh wait,” she said as she feigned disappointment, “you won’t spell that correctly. Just call me Charlie.”

 

-

The mortal stood, dumbfounded at what she was seeing. In the kitchen was a man wearing a full gimp-suit (with eye-holes conveniently cut in) cooking breakfast. Sitting at the table was the demon clad in leather. “Oh hey, Z! Thought you might want some food so I had Tim whip us up something. Say ‘hi’ Tim.”

 

The gimp man turned to her and waved. “Hi there Miss Z,” Tim said in an oddly cheerful voice, “it’s really nice to meet you.”

 

Charlie smiled. “Isn’t he just the best?”

 

-

Zari was sitting on the couch in the living room when she first heard it: that melodic sound. At first she didn’t recognize it, but as it got closer she quickly realized what it was. It was an ice-cream truck. Setting her computer down, the mortal turned to the window. Slowly, she watched as the truck came around the bend and parked outside her apartment. Then she watched as Charlie exited the truck, fists and clothes covered in a black, inky liquid.

 

As the demon entered the apartment, Zari asked. “Charlie why-.”

 

“Give me a second.” Carlie pulled out her phone and called a number Zari didn’t recognize. “Hey Quinlin,” she said in a pissed-off voice, “It’s me, Charlie. Listen, we need to talk about the ice cream trucks.” The demon rolled her eyes. “Yes, that was me...WHY? BECAUSE I FUCKING WORK AT THAT SCHOOL, DUMBASS!” Suddenly the demon’s eyes turned red. “I don’t care if children are mini blood bags with legs, tell your people that as long as I am around they are OFF THE GODDAMN MENU YOU VAMPIRIC MOTHER-.” Charlie took a deep breath as her eyes returned to normal. “Sorry for that, got a little pissed off for a second...look, we’ve been friends since the Roman Empire, so I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt this once. If it happens again, you and I are going to have a talk.” There was a long pause before the demon spoke again. “I’ll send the truck back tomorrow as well as payment for the ice cream I stole, just make sure those asshats are dealt with. Bye.” She then walked upstairs, muttering something about “goddamn vampires.”

 

***(present day)

“Wow,” Nate said as he whistled, “she sounds…-.”

 

“Interesting?”

 

“Insane. I was going to say insane. Like Deadpool levels of batshit crazy.”

 

“Eh,” the raven haired girl shrugged, “no biggie.”

 

“Seriously, how do you live with her?”

 

Zari considered it for a second. “All things considered, she’s actually not all that bad.” Nate raised an eyebrow at her. “I’m serious. She’s supposed to be a demon, but I don’t think she’s done a single malicious thing since she’s arrived. Hell, I think she’s even been trying to suck up to me.”

 

“God,” Nate sighed, “remember when life wasn’t so crazy and the only issue we had with Amaya was her not watching the Marvel movies?”

 

Zari couldn’t help but laugh. “Oh my God, YES! You and her argued for MONTHS after she dropped that little bomb. I almost thought you two would break up for good because of it!” The two shared a hearty chuckle before the memory of the person they both loved turned somber. 

 

Suddenly the car stopped: they had arrived.

 

***(one hour later)

As far as parties went, this one wasn’t bad. The mansion that it was held in was absolutely beautiful, and the ballroom itself looked like it was ripped straight from beauty and the beast. If that wasn’t enough, the food was to die for. From the moment she got in, the computer expert took pleasure in the consumption of foods that she had absolutely no idea how to pronounce and (if she was being frank) probably cost more than her monthly salary. Every once in a while Nate would ask a question and Zari usually answer (how much he understood, though, often depended on what Zari was eating). It was going so well that the girl was considering stopping on the way home to get Dante a treat for suggesting she go. It would probably be steak; she may not know much about hellhounds, but they sounded like carnivores.

 

‘Wait,’ she thought, ‘would that technically be considered racism?’

 

Nate interrupted her thought process as he brought over a tall woman in a beautiful black dress. “Zari, I’d like to introduce you to-.”

 

Zari’s eyes widened. “-‘Ena ‘Uther!” She swallowed. “I’m so sorry, Miss Luthor.”

 

The slender woman smiled mischievously. “No need to apologize for enjoying such delicious food.” She turned to Nate. “Mr. Heywood, would you do us a favor and get us some more of those appetizers. I think us girls could use a chat.” Nate obliged and Lena offered Zari a seat. “Zari Tomaz,” the CEO smirked, “it is so good to finally meet you.”

 

The younger girl looked confused, she didn’t remember saying her last name. “The feeling is mutual. How did you-?”

 

“Oh please, a talented coder like you? Our company has had it’s eye on you for a while.” She leaned in closer. “However, in the past month you have certainly gotten my attention.” 

 

The younger girl looked at her curiously. ‘Was she talking about-?’

 

“I heard about that ‘special project’ you and your friend Ray are working on and I have to say, it is so amazing to see a fellow woman of science being a part of something so revolutionary.”

 

“Well,” the hacker said as she began to get flustered, “you have no idea what that means, coming from you.”

 

“Thank you, I’m glad that you came.” The green-eyed woman spoke softly. “I’m curious, normally Nathaniel brings Amaya to events like this. Are you and him…?”

 

Zari shook her head. “No, Amaya…,” she paused, “Amaya couldn’t make it tonight. The two of them are...”

 

“Oh, that’s a shame.”

 

“Yeah, I came as a friend to support him. Didn’t want him to feel-.”

 

“Lonely?” The woman finished. “Trust me,” she nodded, “I know how he feels. What I wouldn’t give to have my girlfriend with me.”

 

Zari did a double-take. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know you were-.”

 

“In a relationship?” Lena replied sarcastically. “Why wouldn’t I be?” After letting Zari stammer a bit, she corrected the younger girl. “I’m not surprised, really. I try to keep it under wraps.”

 

“Is that why she isn’t here tonight?”

 

“Sort of. You could say that certain people would be unhappy to see us together.”

 

While Zari understood the unfortunate truth of homophobia, the way the she said it seemed a little off. Regardless, the hacker pressed further. “How long have you and this mysterious woman been together?”

 

Lena looked off into the distance as if in a dream. “It feels like we’ve been falling in love for millions of years. She’s my everything, and when I’m around her I feel, well…, let’s just say that she brings out the best in me.”

 

Zari couldn’t help but feel a twinge of jealousy. Sometimes it feels like the universe is out to get her. So many find love, yet she remains single. “That sounds incredible to have someone like that.”

 

“It is, but at the same time it’s a double-edged sword. Truth be told, I don’t even like coming to these things anymore. Don’t get me wrong, the Heywoods can arrange a good party, but it’s always the same. I’ve gone to more parties like this than I can count, but no matter how much I am honored or celebrated, it can’t compare to my time with her.” The CEO paused, pursing her lips before she spoke again. “Actually, could I ask...-nah forget it.”

 

“What is it?”

 

“I just...wanted your advice on something. I just realized you would probably laugh if you heard it.”

 

“Believe me, I wouldn’t. The very idea that Lena Luther would want my advice on ANYTHING is enough to send me into a power trip that will last me a few days.”

 

This caused emerald-eyed girl to laugh. “Alright, you’ve convinced me. Can I have your advice?”

 

“Power trip’s gonna last a week now. Feels pretty good. What do you wanna know?”

 

“Have you ever been in a relationship?”

 

Zari stopped at that one. “I...I can’t say I have, but I’ll try my best.”

 

Lena sighed. “It’s just-, the nature of my relationship with this woman means that there is this- for lack of a better word- distance between us.” She took a sip from her champagne. “At first it wasn’t all that bad. In fact, our relationship grew stronger in spite of it. We were like Romeo and Juliet- well, in this case, Juliet and Juliet- sneaking away to share an intimate moment.” Lena sighed. “But now it’s like the spark is going out.”

 

“What do you mean by that?”

 

Lena shrugged. “The separation used to draw us together, but now all it does is drive us further apart.” She shook her head. “A cynical part of myself is telling me that this was always how it was going to go down, that a breakup was inevitable.” 

 

Zari nodded. “But you don’t want to believe that, do you?”

 

“God no. For the first time in a LONG time, I have found someone who makes me truly happy, and I don’t want to let her slip through my fingers. I just want to show her how much she means to me.”

 

“That’s perfect.”

 

“Pardon me?”

 

“What you just said was perfect so tell her exactly that.” The hacker chuckled. “I may not have that much experience when it comes to relationships, but I know for a fact that waiting for the perfect opportunity will ensure that it will pass you by.” Lena tried to speak up, but Zari was on a roll. “I know you said that people would be upset, but you shouldn’t let other people keep you from what would make you happy. We only live once after all.”

 

The CEO seemed to consider this before smiling. “Thank you Zari. I think I know what I need to do.”

 

“Well, she sounds like a lucky woman, to have someone who cares about her as much as you do.”

 

“While it’s nice of you to say that, I’m afraid it’s I who is the lucky one.”

 

Suddenly Nate appeared carrying plates of food. “Alright guys, I’m back. What were we talking about and why is Miss Luthor so lucky?”

 

Zari started to speak. “Lena and I were just talking about-.”

 

“About how lucky I am that this deal went through,” the CEO said as she gave the hacker a ‘play along’ look. 

 

“Well I’m glad you feel that way Miss Luthor,” Nate said as he sat the plates down in front of the two women, “but remember that this deal benefits all of us. So you could say that luck is all around.”

 

“Well said Nathaniel,” Lena smiled, “and please, call me Lena.” A loud tapping sound filled the room and the trio turned to see Hank Heywood testing out the mic behind the podium. “Well,” Lena sighed as she stood up, “time for us CEOs to give our two cents.” She first turned to Nate. “Nathaniel, thank you for organizing our partnership and arranging this wonderful party.”

 

“No problem.”

 

The ceo then turned to Zari. “And thank you for lending me your ear. I had a lovely time talking with you this evening and I look forward to hearing from you in the future.”

 

“Th-thanks,” Zari said, still not over the fact that she was being complemented, “it was an honor.”

 

The CEO shook both their hands and proceeded to the podium. Had someone been paying attention, they would have noticed that, for a brief second, her eyes glowed with the most brilliant green hue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please give a warm welcome to Kara’s demonic lover: Lena MOTHERF*****G Luthor! Also introducing the third greatest Zari ship (and arguably the most canon): Zari x Food! Isn’t that fun?


	12. Breakdown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A simple dance leads to a dramatic confession as Zari finally opens up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don’t own legends, but I wish I did

(Heywood party 9:00 PM)

As Mr. Fox closed his speech (much to Zari’s disappointment, as she enjoyed his Morgan Freeman-like voice), Nate and Zari began to mingle once more. By this point, slow classical music was playing and couples were beginning to dance together. However, the duo remained on the outside of the dance floor, not desiring to venture into unknown territory.

 

This plan was foiled almost immediately.

 

“Oh, Nate,” a female voice called out. The subject of the calling out turned around to see his mother standing before them. 

 

“Mom,” Nate said as he hugged her, “I was worried I wasn’t going to see you tonight.” He turned to Zari. “This is-.”

 

“Mrs. Heywood,” she extended her arm for a handshake, “it is so good to meet you. This is a lovely party you’ve thrown.”

 

The older woman smiled. “Nathaniel Heywood,” Nate stiffened slightly at the use of his full name, “you did not tell me you were bringing a date! Especially not one with such good manners.” She turned to the younger woman. “Tell me, what’s your name?”

 

“Zari Tomaz.”

 

“Oh what a wonderful name for such a charming girl with great, childbearing hips.” She then reached out and gave the girl a pat on her hips (which almost made Zari spit-take). “Have you two started talking about marriage yet or-?”

 

Now, it is important to keep in mind that when it came down to it, Zari Tomaz was ultimately a very reasonable person. She was fairly accepting and was the type of person who avoided unnecessary (or at the very least, undeserved) confrontation. That being said, however, it is also important to remember that Zari was human and the fact that someone had laid their hands on her hips without permission made her want to (understandably) smack a bitch.

 

Nate, having been Zari’s friend for a long time, managed to pick up on this and decided to quickly intervene. “Actually Mom, Zari and I are just-.”

 

“Oh you’re right,” she said defeatedly, “it’s too soon to start thinking about that. But can you at least consider it? Grandchildren would be so nice.” The older woman turned her head as some called for her attention. “I’m sorry, there’s something I need to take care of. Please, though, enjoy the dance.”

 

As Nate’s mother walked away, Zari turned to her friend. “Childbearing hips?”

 

“Sorry about that. She can be a bit...”

 

“Wildly inappropriate?”

 

The man shook his head. “I’m proud of you, though. You didn’t kill her.”

 

“If my new roommate wasn’t living proof of the existence of Hell, she wouldn’t have been so lucky.”

 

In the corner of her eye, Zari noticed a weird expression briefly form on Nate’s face. “Well then, will you allow me to make it up to you on the dance floor?”

 

This time Zari actually DID do a mini spit-take. “I’m sorry, are you serious?”

 

Nate chuckled a bit. “Why not? As stupid as it is, everyone seems to be having fun out there. Plus, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t curious. Call me crazy, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen you dance before.” The hacker sighed. Despite having the urge to tell him off, she had to admit that there was truth to what he had said. Zari had never been an avid (or even casual) dancer. 

 

While there are many simple reasons why people may not entirely favor the act of dancing, the hacker had never felt that she fit into these cookie-cutter reasons. For instance, while some may blame a perceived lack of dancing ability or an inability to keep with rhythm, Zari knew this didn’t apply to her. In college, Sara, Amaya and herself had gotten extremely bored and decided to all go as a Beyoncé dance group for Halloween. To complete their look, the group had managed to successfully learn and perform the full Single Ladies dance. Zari managed to dance extremely well and even managed to teach Sara the basics for a body roll (a fact with Ava still thanks her for).

 

Thus, a lack of skill was ruled out.

 

The natural follow-up would be to assume that she had once had a bad experience which has since tainted the act for her. This, however, also did not apply to her. The reason for which being the simple ‘you can’t have a bad experience if you don’t have experience.’ Granted, she DID have experience (as demonstrated two paragraphs ago), but that didn’t really count. In truth, she had cared little for the dancing, managing to derive joy from the mere presence of her friends and, much later, the memory of seeing her crush in a skintight leotard (though that was a different form of joy that was done in secrecy). 

 

Thus, the idea of a bad experience was ruled out. While one may then go on to suggest that she simply hated dancing entirely, regardless of who was doing it, this would be grossly incorrect (without dancing, musical theater would lose its charm).

 

No, the real reason was that she just did not have the personality for casual dancing. While this may seem like a disappointingly simple problem (and indeed it was), the reason Zari did not recognize it as such was because she was (as one might guess) not the most emotionally healthy. Had she the emotional awareness to put her feelings to words, the hacker would have said that the reason she clashed with dancing so much was its unpredictability. Zari, by nature, was a very emotionally closed off person. Ever since she was aware of her attraction to women, Zari has had to hide her emotions from those around her (first from her parents, then from her classmates, and finally from the woman she had feelings for). Such repression has shaped Zari into someone who desired nothing more than to have complete control of her life; to never be caught in a situation that she couldn’t emotionally handle. In Zari’s mind, dancing threw all of that out the window. From what she has seen (both on screen and with her friends), such action relied not on set movements or instruction, but the surrendering of oneself to the music and letting emotion guide the body. Such action was unacceptable to her and was the reason for her avoidance of dance.

 

However, as she looked into the eyes of her kind male friend, Zari found that she was actually considering it. The hacker tried to find a reasonable answer to this, even going as far as to consider the idea of being attracted to Nate, but all of them were rejected. ‘Oh my god,’ she thought as she suddenly realized what had happened, ‘it’s Charlie.’ As unbelievable as it was to think that the loudmouth, alcoholic was responsible for her emotional growth, it was the only explanation. While the demon had made the past month had been an emotional challenge, it had not broken her. The trauma had only served to strengthen her resolve, and for the first time in a LONG time she felt like she could survive anything. ‘Besides,’ she thought to herself, ‘even if it goes bad, at least we have Nate.’ The hacker smiled, in the time she had known him the adorkable manchild had become like a brother to her. If there was anyone she trusted enough to dance with, it was him.

 

“Sure,” She said happily, “why not?” Nate smiled and held out his arm in traditional gentleman fashion. When Zari accepted the gesture, the two then made their way onto the dance floor. When they got there, the two fumbled about getting into proper slow-dance position. “Sorry, I’ve never done this before.”

 

“That’s what she said.” The comment earned a scowl from Zari as Nate laughed. “I’m kidding. But for real, how have you not slow danced before? Didn’t you go to high school prom?”

 

‘No,’ she thought to herself, ‘I didn’t.’ Realizing the train of thought she was about to go on, the hacker shook her head. ‘Oh no you don’t,’ she reminded herself, ‘now is NOT the time to think about that shit.’ The pair finally got into proper position and began to silently sway to the rhythm of the violin that was playing. The movement and the music was like a hypnotic lull that Zari sunk more and more into as the dancing went on. She had never understood the hype behind slow dancing, seeing it as a boring romantic activity that was not meant for people like her, but now she was beginning to see the appeal. The simplicity of the movement amplified the emotion and intimacy of the partners. It didn’t matter if she bore no physical attraction to Nate, for it wasn’t long before Zari realized that she could imagine anyone she wished into the place of her partner. And as she closed her eyes and rested her head against the sturdy chest of one of her best friends, Zari allowed herself to submit to her imagination.

 

Suddenly, the girl began to feel an odd shift in her friend’s heartbeat which caused her to roll her eyes and look up. Zari had half expected Nate’s face to be one of embarrassment- caused by the awkwardness of slowdancing with a close friend of the opposite gender- or uncomfortable arousal- due to the fact that an attractive woman was dancing with him (at least, she thought she was attractive...or at least the demon seemed to think so)-, but this wasn’t either of those. It almost…

 

It almost looked like he was disgusted.

 

“I’m sorry,” he said nervously as he backed away from her, “I can’t do this.” Zari then watched as Nate frantically looked around and, upon finding the closest exit, ran out the door like his life depended on it. Luckily the party didn’t seem to be all that affected by it (‘self-centered bastards,’ Zari thought), so she was able to follow him out.

 

After going through many rooms, the hacker found Nate on a bench in the garden, hunched over and running his hands through his hair like he did when he was stressed. “Yo Nate,” she said, getting his attention, “what’s wrong?”

 

Nate started muttering something and as she sat down next to him she started to make it out. “I’m sorry Z. I’m so sorry. It was a mistake. I never should have done it.”

 

“Hey, hey, if this is about leaving me on the dance floor, then don’t worry about it. I don’t know how much of a faux pas it is in high society, but you don’t need to get all worked up about it.” When he remained silent, she adopted a kinder approach. “Nate, look at me. We have played monopoly before and stayed friends, so whatever you feel bad about, we’ll get through it.”

 

“I’m so sorry.”

 

“You already said that, now would you mind being more specific? Because I’m pretty sure you’re not apologizing for your prank-gift.” A few months ago, Nate had “given” her a copy of the new God of War game (which she had been meaning to play for a while now), but when she put in the disk to play, she discovered that it was actually a remastered version of Sonic ‘06. That day was the closest she ever came to straight-up murdering someone.

 

“I never should have done it, Z. I never should have manipulated your feelings for me like that.”

 

If Zari wasn’t so dumbstruck, she would have laughed in his face. Did he REALLY think that the reason she came was because of some silly crush. I mean, sure, he was OBJECTIVLY attractive, but still! Even if he was a woman, he still wouldn’t be her type. “Nate,” she gently slapped him a few times to get him to look at her, “I am only going to say this once, so please pay attention; you are my friend, and I love you for it, but I am NOT- nor will I EVER be- physically attracted to you.”

 

Nate looked confused. “Then why-.”

 

“Did I come?” She raised an eyebrow at him. “Because I care about you, dumbass. You asked for help and I came because we are friends, not because I want to be your...rebound…” Zari’s eyes widened as she realized what it was that he was trying to do; he didn’t want her to be a rebound, he wanted her to be AMAYA. Losing her must have been devastating, and in his grief, he tried to recreate their relationship as a desperate way of holding on to her memory. Zari quickly understood why he asked her to come. It wasn’t that she was attractive (though that may have helped), it was because she was Amaya’s best friend: and the closest replacement. 

 

Zari mentally slapped herself for not seeing it sooner.

 

“Nate…,” Zari laid a hand on his shoulder as her breath quivered, “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.”

 

Her friend shook his head. “Why…?”

 

“Why, what?”

 

“Why are you apologizing? You should be angry. Why aren’t you angry?” Some part of her knew that she should be angry, any reasonable person would. But seeing Nate like this…it made something in her feel only sadness. Even though zari was angry about what he did, she knew he had only done so to spare himself the grief of losing Amaya (a greif she knew all too well). And now she watched as one of her best friends broke down as he was forced to accept that the love of his life- the love of THEIR lives- was dead.

 

“I forgive you, Nate. I understand what you’re going through .”

 

“No you don’t,” he said as he stood up, “no one does!” He began to pace in circles, looking away from Zari the whole time. “I’m so sick of everyone in our group saying that they understand, or that things will get better.”

 

“Nate, I loved her too.”

 

“Are you seriously going to use THAT line on me?” He scoffed. “I know you two were best friends, but you never loved her like I did. She was the center of my world and now-.”

 

Zari leapt to her feet and put her hands on his shoulders. “Nate, for the love of God, listen to me. I LOVED HER TOO!”

 

“FOR THE LAST TIME, DON’T-.” The man slowly stopped talking as he looked into Zari’s eyes. From the minute she arrived, there had been a look in her eyes that looked familiar. But now, as he finally was able to look up close Nate Heywood was able to recognize the look all too well: he had seen it in every mirror since he heard Amaya had died. “Y-you…? How…? Amaya said-.”

 

Every part of the hacker was screaming in her head. They were begging her stop, to turn back now before it was too late. However, Zari kept going, unable to stop herself. “I know what it’s like,” she said, “to wake up every morning and thank the universe for allowing you the privilege of having her in your life, to know that she is the best part of your life, and to love her completely for it: mind, body and soul.” She sat down on the bench as tears began to fall. “I know what it’s like to lose her, to feel like a piece of your heart has been ripped out, because I have felt it too. I’ve felt it every single day since she’s died.” Unable to bear her friend’s wordless gaze, she buried her face in her hands: a desperate attempt to hide herself. “I’m so sorry Nate,” the hacker apologized, “I never should have let the demon in. It’s just... I saw her laying there and I just-.”

 

Zari stopped as Nate pulled her into a tight embrace. “It’s okay Z,” the businessman said, his voice hoarse from crying, “it’s okay.”

 

The hacker returned the gesture, burying her face in his shoulder as the two of them simply allowed each other the chance to cry. The pair sat in this position for a few minutes, silently allowing their emotions to pour out to each other, before Zari spoke. “I’m sorry Nate,” she said quietly, “I know you two were together, but she was always so...her. I couldn’t help myself. If you hate me for that, I’ll accept it.”

 

Nate shook his head as he pulled away. “How could I possibly hate you for something I have done as well? We can’t control the way we feel.”

 

“Th-Thank you...”

 

Zari rested her head on his shoulder as he put his arm around her. “I don’t know if it will make you feel better, but I think a part of her knew.” 

 

“She didn’t, trust me.”

 

“I wouldn’t be so sure. When you first started hanging out with us, Amaya told me she thought you were jealous-.”

 

“Of her.” Nate looked at her, clearly confused, but Zari stayed still as she continued. “She thought I was jealous of her. Believe it or not,” the hacker chuckled humorlessly, “she actually tried to talk with me about it. Let me down pretty easily actually. Said the exact same things you just did: that she ‘wasn’t mad’, that ‘we can’t control our feelings.’” She paused. “I think that was the moment that I realized I could never be with her.” Zari remembered that night well, it was the first time the thought of Amaya made her cry herself to sleep. “God, I hated you that night; not because of the fact that she was with you,” she clarified, “it was because of why she thought I was jealous of her.”

 

“Why? What did she say?”

 

Zari cleared her throat as she looked up at the sky. “She was in love with you, Nate. She thought you were perfect, the best person in the world, someone she was lucky to have.” Zari then turned to look at Nate. “I hated you because she was saying all those wonderful things about you, when she should have been saying those things about herself.” The hacker shook her head. “But I knew that you made her happy so I didn’t say anything.”

 

“She loved you too, you know. Maybe not in the way you wanted, but she did in her own way.” 

 

“And now we have Charlie.” Silence momentarily fell as the demon’s name was spoken. “Living with her, it’s...” she sighed. “She tries to have sex with me, you know. Every day she makes that stupid, cocky look of hers and tries to seduce me.” Zari shook her head. “It takes everything I have to say no because every time she asks, a part of myself is screaming at me to let her.” Zari doesn’t tell him that there are some days when she seriously considers the demon’s offer; to let her satisfy the shameful part of her that still longs for Amaya.

 

She also doesn’t tell him that sometimes she enjoys the power she has over the demon; that she has Charlie’s fate in her hands and the demon knows it.

 

Finally, Nate asked the question that had been on his mind the whole week. “Then why,” he asked, “do you let her live with you?”

 

“I don’t know.” The hacker admitted. “At first it was about bringing Amaya back to life,” she said as she shook her head, “but the more I think about it... the more I think that there may be some truth to what Charlie said about it not being a good idea. Don’t get me wrong, I take her advice with a grain of salt, but the longer she’s gone, the more I’m concerned that the Amaya we get back won’t be the one we lost.” She turned to Nate somberly. “In this case, maybe dead is better.”

 

Nate nodded, he had seen enough movies to understand what Zari was saying. There were no happy endings in situations like these. While there was always a chance that they could have the original-make-and-model Amaya back, it was extremely unlikely that it would play out that way. Plus, even if she didn’t come back as some sort of monster, the confirmation of the existence of heaven and hell ensured that there would be no ‘at best’ situation. If she was in heaven, they would be denying her paradise: a paradise that she would most likely try to return to by any means necessary. If she was in hell, she would have to live with the memory of it and be cursed to live in fear for the rest of her life.

 

“Then,” Zari continued, “it was because Gideon said so. She told me to give her a chance and even though she had no idea that I was talking about a demon, I knew she was right. Plus, we both know that it’s always best to listen to her.” 

 

“Of course,” he said, “I don’t blame you for listening to one of the smartest people I know.” In the many years Nate knew the Waverider’s cook, he had learned the most valuable lesson of all: always listen to Gideon. Her advice, no matter how odd or bizarre, ALWAYS ended up being exactly what was needed to ensure the best-case scenario. In fact, on several occasions, he had called Gideon during a bathroom break in the middle of a meeting to get her advice.

 

Zari sighed as she ran her fingers through her hair. “Ultimately though, I think that Amaya is the reason I’m letting her stay.” She turned to Nate, who was clearly confused. “You asked me why I wasn’t mad about you using me to get over Amaya, well she’s the answer.” The hacker laughed humorlessly when her friend continued to be oblivious. “When she first came here, I despised her existence so much. I just wanted my friend back, so that’s exactly what I tried to do. Every day for weeks I would try to have her act like Amaya, talk like Amaya, BE Amaya. And she did it all because she thought it would make me like her more. She doesn’t even use her British accent around me anymore...”

 

Sensing a break in Zari’s words, Nate spoke up. “So what happened?”

 

“A few weeks ago Charlie was doing her usual ‘hey look at me’ routine and,” Zari chuckled, “for the first time I actually SAW her; not as some Amaya wannabe, but as herself. And in her eyes...there was nothing but joy, brought about by being allowed to be her true self. I then realized that what I was doing hurt her and I had to accept that this demon, she was her own person. I know it sounds stupid and I know that it isn’t her, but I still can’t bear the idea of hurting her. So now we have a compromise; she acts like Amaya when she needs to, but otherwise I let her be herself. And besides, you and I both know that redeeming a demon is the type of shit she’d want us to do.” 

 

Nate sighed. “I suppose you’re right. Trying to have her be...you know...will do us no good.” He looked over to his friend. “I still miss her though.”

 

“I know. But maybe she can still help us with how we deal with it. By animating her...,” she sighed, “corpse, Charlie has given us the opportunity to more effectively come to terms with her loss. Maybe by the time she’s gone, we’ll be more equipped to deal with her death and the grief won’t hit us all at once.”

 

The two sat quietly as they looked up at the stars. “Do you think she’s up there, in heaven, I mean? I know it’s shit of me to ask, but my whole worldview has been turned up on its ass this week and I’d like to find some semblance of sense.”

 

Zari answered immediately. “She better fucking be,” she said, “because if she isn’t, I’ll send Charlie to personally drag her ass to Heaven.” The hacker shook her head. “Of course, let’s be real. If she’s NOT in heaven, then there is absolutely no fucking way you and I could possibly get in either.”

 

The two shared a laugh before Nate sat up. “Well then,” he said as he wiped the old tears away from his eyes, “why don’t we get out of here and get some actual food?”

 

“The waverider?” Zari asked. “Are you sure it’s a good idea to ditch your own party?”

 

“Why not? The food they’ve been serving is ‘meh’ at BEST, plus I’m not really needed for the rest of the night so I doubt they’d notice me.” He held out his hand. “Still friends?”

 

The hacker took his hand as she rose to her feet. “Still friends.” Suddenly she remembered something. “Speaking of friends, could I ask you to do something for me?”

 

“Sure, what is it?”

 

“Could you, maybe, keep the whole me and Amaya thing a secret? I’m...I’m not sure I’m ready to be ‘out’ yet. Plus with Charlie around, I-.”

 

“Z, don’t worry. I won’t say a word. It’s not my secret to tell, anyway.” The hacker smiled before Nate finished. “But it does explain why you had so many posters of Princess Leah, Black Widow and Wonder Woman.”

 

Zari gave him a playful slug. “Fuck off.” The businessman chuckled, but as he began to leave, the girl stopped him. “Before we go,” Zari smirked, “I think I know a similarly bored soul who would love to join us.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Zari finally tells someone how she feels. Perhaps this is a step in the right direction. Also: while I’m not a fan of Zari and Nate being an OTP, I am in favor of them being a BroTP.


	13. The Vial

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlie and Nate come to an understanding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don’t own legends, but I wish I did.

Waverider bar (9:30)

Silence filled the bar as Sara held the dart in her hand. The bartender was blindfolded, and while she was facing the dartboard, people were still doubting that she could make it. Slowly, Sara’s forearm pulled back before moving forward to launch the dart into the air....

 

Bullseye.

 

The bar went wild as people began to cheer and money began changing hands. Sara took off the blindfold and looked at the board with a satisfied grin; three darts, three bullseyes. “Thanks everyone,” she announced, “let’s have one round on me.”

 

The bar patrons cheered as Sara sat down next to her girlfriend at the table with Ray and Mick. “Show off,” the more responsible one commented.

 

Sara shrugged. “What can I say? When you got it, you got it.” 

 

Suddenly the door opened to reveal a man in a very nice suit and a black-haired girl in a very nice dress. Nate smiled as he saw his friends. “What’s up guys?”

 

“Nate,” Ava said, clearly confused, “I thought there was a party tonight, why aren’t you there?”

 

He shrugged. “Decided to dip out of there. It was getting pretty boring.”

 

Zari spoke up. “Plus the food was not as good as you’d think.”

 

“That is true, we really need to cater from somewhere else.” Nate turned to Sara. “But we also brought someone else with us.”

 

“Okay...,” Sara asked, “why isn’t this mystery person here?”

 

“I’m giving you time to get behind the bar.”

 

“Well I clocked out, so whoever it is-.” The door opened once more. This time it was Lena Luthor herself. “Isdefinitelyworthservingmyself. Yes, definitely.” Sara sprinted to the bar and by the time the CEO reached it, Sara was already in place. “Hello, I’m Sara Lance. Welcome to the Waverider. How you help can I?” The bartender shook her head as she realized her mistake. “I mean, how can I help you.” 

 

Lena chuckled. “I see that you’re the one that Nate had me autograph the poster for. Where is it, exactly?”

 

“Framed in my office. Now, what would you like to drink?”

 

“Whiskey, please.”

 

As Sara arranged the drink, smiling like an idiot the whole time, Ava turned to Nate and Zari. “Did you have to bring my girlfriend’s former crush here?”

 

Zari shrugged. “Don’t worry, that one’s got eyes for someone else.”

 

Suddenly Nate felt someone tap his shoulder. “Mr. Heywood,” Gideon whispered, “would you come with me for a second?” 

 

Despite his initial confusion, the suited man agreed to follow the cook. Taking her hand, he followed her behind the bar and into the kitchen. Upon reaching his apparent destination, he asked her; “alright Gideon, what’s this thing you need to show me?”

 

“That would be my que.” Recognizing the demon’s voice, Nate turned around. However, when he did, the man was frozen in shock. From what Zari described, Charlie seemed to always be adorned in some kind of apparel that befitted a dominatrix, but this wasn’t that at all. The demon was wearing a grey suit (and dress pants) with a black dress shirt and a red tie. To top it all off, Charlie decided to wear some black loafers. Now, the businessman has seen (and worn) a lot of suits in his day, and this one looked to be one of the most expensive ones he’d seen.

 

Straightening himself, Nate regarded the demon. “That’s a very nice outfit you have on.”

 

“Well,” The demon said as her smirk grew into a cheshire-like grin, “you can thank the talented Peter Gambi. He’s the one who made Zari’s dress as well.”

 

“Gambi...I don’t think I’ve heard of him.”

 

“I’m not surprised. Gambi caters to a very... _ specific _ clientele: politicians, mob bosses, an assassin every once in a while...” she chuckled. “We celestials keep him on retainer. I can give you his number if you’d like.”

 

“I thought Zari said you hated professional clothing?”

 

“I’m...what’s that thing you humans apparently do in college?” She seemed to ponder this before continuing. “Experimenting? Yes, I’m experimenting. Never liked dresses, always thought they were too stuffy, but this suit? It may have cost a cool mil to make, but having an awesome looking outfit makes it SOOO worth it.” Her hands moved down her torso to extenuate her many curves. “Plus, I look SUPER hot in it.”

 

“Sounds like it’s expensive.”

 

“You’d be amazed what I can afford.” She sighed as she looked at her reflection in one of the pots. “And thanks to the progressive modern era, I don’t have to be a dude to wear one.”

 

Nate cleared his throat. “What do you want, Charlie?”

 

The demon snapped her fingers as she opened the refrigerator next to her. “Always to the point, I can see why this body gets so wet when it sees you. That, and the very fine muscular structure.” The businessman shifted uncomfortably as the demon pulled out a vial of a strange, dark liquid. She then held it out to him. “Drink this.”

 

“I’d rather not.”

 

“Oh, come on. Don’t be a pussy.”

 

“I’m not drinking some random liquid. I don’t know what weird ass stuff you put in there.”

 

The demon huffed. “Fine. I swear on my life that this drink will in no way harm you.”

 

Zari has told Nate that demons didn’t break their promises, so he cautiously took the vial and drank the contents. It had the texture of molasses and while it left a metallic feeling in his mouth, Nate was surprised to find that it tasted like strawberries. “Alright” he said, “now would you mind telling me what I just drank?”

 

Charlie crossed her arms. “So, remember how you used to be a hemophiliac?”

 

“I  _ am _ a hemophiliac.”

 

“Bitch, did I fucking stutter?”

 

Nate paused as the reality of the situation dawned on him. “Are you telling me that that-.”

 

“When we first met, you smelled a little funny to me so I looked you up.” Charlie shook her head. “Hemophilia, the poster child of ‘not the worst genetic disease to have but still pretty shitty.’”

 

“And you just know how to cure it?”

 

Charlie shrugged. “A couple centuries ago we started getting a few souls that wouldn’t clot whenever we ripped them open. So a few of us got together and made a little formula to get rid of it. That way, the torture sessions would last longer before the victim bled out.”

 

Nate shook his head. “Did NOT need to know that.” He looked at the empty vial. “So did I just drink your blood or something?”

 

“Oh god no. If I gave you that much of my blood, you would’ve immediately collapsed to the ground and begun to uncontrollably grow tumors all over your body.” She looked at a wristwatch. “And about two minutes and sixteen seconds from now you would explode.” Nate couldn’t decide if he should be concerned by the accuracy of her timing. “No, what I gave you was a diluted mixture. Went out a few nights ago for a little supply run to get the chemicals I needed to make this. I’m honestly surprised though, I was SUPER drunk when I made it so there was about a 40-60 chance you’d die. Also, it’ll only work for you so don’t get any ideas of replicating it.”

 

“Supply run...holy shit. All those lab break ins, that was you?”

 

“Yep. Mick got me the supplies for it.”

 

“How are you not in prison? They should have figured out who it was by now.”

 

***(Tuesday 8:15 PM)

Mick handed Charlie the duffel bag. “There ya go,” he grunted, “everything you asked for is in there.” Charlie zipped open a duffel bag to reveal rope, grapnel equipment, an oxyacetylene torch, a flashlight and five blasting caps. The pyro then handed the demon a jerry can. “Don’t know why you need the gas though.”

 

“It’s a disguise.”

 

-(one hour later)

The demon gagged as she poured the gasoline on herself. She was in an abandoned parking lot about 5 miles from her first target. While the location wasn’t ideal, it was the only area without security cameras in sight. She had stolen a car to get here and now, as she dropped the jerrycan and picked up a matchbook, the demon was ready to take the next step to make sure no one would know it was her.

 

‘This,’ she thought, ‘is gonna hurt like a motherfucker.’

 

***(present day)

Charlie gave Nate a knowing smile. “So unless they somehow manage to identify someone who can recover from third-degree burns overnight, I doubt they’ll find me.”

 

As the demon rambled on about how she committed the ‘perfect crime’, Nate spoke up. “Why?”

 

This seemed to surprise her. “Excuse me? What did you just say?”

 

“I asked why. Why did you give this to me?”

 

“Isn’t it obvious,” Charlie asked, “It’s because of Zari. She seems to value your opinion so I figured if I could get in your good graces she’ll be more likely to accept me.”

 

“Yeah...” Nate nodded, “I call bullshit.”

 

“It’s the truth.”

 

“I don’t doubt that,” he clarified, “I just call bullshit on it being the only reason.” He chuckled as he placed his hands in his pockets. “If this was done solely to make yourself look better, then we wouldn’t be in the kitchen. Right now, if I were to guess, I’d say that you’re embarrassed by doing this. The only reason that would be is if there was some reason you wanted to keep it quiet, so I ask again; why did you give this to me?”

 

Charlie seemed to regard the mortal before shaking her head. “Clever boy...” she said defeatedly as she sat down on the kitchen counter. She cracked a few knuckles in her right hand before speaking. “You...you, ummm....didn’t let me say anything last time.” Charlie took a deep breath. “Nate,” she said simply, “I am very old.”

 

“Yeah, Zari told me. What is it, thirteen BILLION years old? Right?”

 

She smiled. “Would you believe that I’m one of the younger ones? Some of them are almost fourteen billion years old.”

 

“So what does that have to do with me?”

 

“You’re what, mid thirties? I want you to think about all the friendships and familial ties you’ve made in that time.” She paused for a second. “You thinking about it? Good. Now imagine the bond you can form with someone over the span of a billion years. Now imagine two billion. Now ten billion.” 

 

Nate tried, but he knew that he would never be able to fully imagine it on that scale. “Charlie, I-.”

 

“I may have never lost the love of my life, but I have lost those I care about. For the past four billion years I have had to watch my family, the people I LOVE, fight and kill one another,” as she spoke, the demon gripped the side of the metal counter, bending the steel with her bare hands, “and SOMETIMES IT FEELS LIKE I'M THE ONLY ONE WHO GIVES A SHIT!” Charlie paused for a second. “I’m sorry,” she said in a quiet voice, “I just wanted you to know I understand the shit you’re dealing with.”

 

“Charlie I’m...do you need a hug or something?”

 

“Oh, fuck off. I don’t need a fucking therapist.” She sighed. “I’m just saying that if you need a fucking beer or something, I’d be up for it.” She held out her hand. “Truce?”

 

“On one condition.”

 

“What?”

 

Nate crossed his arms. “Stop looking at Zari like a piece of meat.”

 

Charlie looked surprised. “The hell does that mean?”

 

“It means that you should tone down the-for lack of a better word-flirting.” 

 

“Oh I see, you and her-?”

 

“We’re just friends. And as her friend, I’m asking you to cool it. It’s starting to get a little uncomfortable.”

 

Charlie bit her lip. Even she had to admit that she’d been laying it on a bit thick lately. It had started off as a little hobby: to tempt miss goody-two-shoes, but now it was something else. It was like a tennis match of flirting and mockery that the two shared together. No matter the sexual innuendo, one liner or pick up line, Zari would only ever respond with an eye roll, complete disinterest, or with a clever, yet snide remark. While this would normally frustrate the demon, Charlie found it to be almost exhilarating. The demon couldn’t help but be enamored by the girl’s wit. Sometimes she would spend a whole day coming up with the perfect pick-up line just to see how Zari would pick it apart and use it against her. Never before had she been challenged like this and the excitement Zari made her feel was almost...

 

The demon mentally corrected herself. Now was not the time to go down that rabbit hole.

 

“Alright,” she rolled her eyes, “I’ll dial it back a bit.” 

 

“Thank you, and as a token of thanks, I won’t tell Zari about you committing a b&e.”

 

The demon chuckled. “That may be best.”

 

Nate began to go back to his friends, but stopped when he noticed the demon wasn’t following him. “You wanna come hang with us,” he asked, “I’ll buy the first round.” 

 

“I’m good.” 

 

“I’m sorry, by the way, for the piano comment. You’re...you’re actually really good.”

 

The demon seemed to snort. “Thanks. And I’m sorry for being your girlfriend and dressing up in-.”

 

“Don’t be. What happened to her wasn’t your fault. You just want to go home.” He opened the door to the bar. “And as for the clothes, don’t worry about it. You only look like her, and that’s something I need to come to terms with. Amaya always said to wear what makes you feel the most you. It may be weird to see, but it’s what separates you from her.” Nate prepared to leave, but before he did, he said one last thing. “The shit does look nice though.”


	14. The conversation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One of Charlie’s siblings comes bearing exciting news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last part of the big ‘ol chapter I wrote up. Light TW for drug use and self-harm. As usual, feel free to leave comments/kudos/bookmarks/constructive criticism.  
> I don’t own legends of tomorrow but I wish I did.

Roof of Zari and Charlie’s apartment (11:45 PM)

The demon sighed as the smoke left her lungs. “What makes me feel the most me,” she said to herself, “what kind of fortune cookie bullshit is that?” She inhaled the joint once more as she laid back on the inclined roof. The roof had served as a good place for the demon to think by herself since she arrived. No one came up here, which allowed Charlie, and occasionally her dog, to consider the things that brought them to this point without someone barging in. 

 

However, as the sound of flapping wings filled the air, Charlie knew that this was no longer the case.

 

“I see you’re using again.” 

 

Charlie shook her head as she looked behind her. “It takes you a month to come visit me, and the first thing you do is criticize my life choices.” She clicked her tongue disappointingly. “You’re beginning to sound like Mom, Lena.” 

 

The CEO smiled as she balanced on the edge of the roof. “Because Mom forbid I care about my sibling.” She sighed. “I understand you need time to deal with what went down with Damien, but this? This concerns me.” 

 

“Don’t you lecture me, at least you still have all your powers.” She held up the joint. “Some of us need to make do with what we have.”

 

“I’m worried about you. And so is Dante.” 

 

Charlie scoffed. That dog-where ever the fuck he is- is going to be the death of her. “Christ, fine!” The demon put the joint out on her palm. “Happy?” Lena didn’t answer. “Why the fuck did you come anyway?”

 

“I met your girl, Zari.” She said with a smile. “She seems like a nice person.”

 

“How did you two meet?”

 

Lena gave her sister a ‘duh’ look. “I’m the CEO of one of the biggest companies in the world. I get invited to a number of parties. Tonight I saw this girl with one of Gambi’s dresses and I thought to myself; now how could that be? Then I remembered you lived here and the rest was clear.” She chuckled a bit. “Still can’t believe you got her a bulletproof dress.”

 

“Can’t have her getting killed while I have a deal with her.”

 

“May I ask what that deal is?” Charlie shook her head. “Fine, I’ll let you deal with that.” Lena then stepped onto the roof, her body staying perfectly perpendicular to the surface. “I can see why you like her though.”

 

“Who said I like her?”

 

“Well she’s put up with you this long, hasn’t she? Plus, people don’t spend over a million dollars on a dress for someone they don’t care about.” Charlie rolled her eyes but Lena continued. “Besides, I think it’s good you have her. Maybe you and her-?”

 

“Lena, just because the one mortal you fell in love with ended up being a member of the opposition, doesn’t mean things can work out for the rest of us.”

 

Lena fell silent. “I’m...I’m glad you brought that up, actually. I could use your advice.” She began pacing along the roof as she spoke. “What do you think would happen if Kara and I...you know?”

 

“Had sex? I’m pretty sure you guys have already.” 

 

“No. I was thinking something a little more dramatic.”

 

“What are you-?” Suddenly Lena’s pants caught her eye, or rather the small, box-like shape that was in her pocket. “Oh shit,” she said, “are you serious? You and her?”

 

“Charlie, I’ve wanted this since the 1800’s. I’m just tired of being a coward.” Lena cleared her throat before continuing. “I just need to know if you think it’s a good idea.”

 

“Psht, why me?”

 

“Come on C, we both know that you’re not like the rest of us fallen angels. You’re the only one our siblings-on-high still talk to, so you can tell me how both sides will play this.”

 

Charlie considered it for a moment. “Do it.”

 

“Okay, be serious.”

 

“I am. Enough people on both sides know-oh don’t sound surprised, you aren’t as sneaky as you think you are-so there is little chance of it pissing someone off.” The demon chuckled. “I may make fun of you, but when it comes down to it, you two are a good couple. So I say go for it.” The CEO began to blush. “Can I see the ring?”

 

Lena pulled it out and hesitantly tossed it to Charlie who caught it in her hand. “It’s nothing much, just a gold band and an-.”

 

“Emerald?” Charlie looked over with a puzzled look as she threw the box back. “I thought that people used diamonds with this type of shit?” 

 

“It’s symbolic.” Lena sighed as she caught it. “It’s supposed to represent kryptonite.”

 

“Ballsy...I like it. When are you gonna do it?”

 

“Tomorrow. It’s our monthly date night and I’m gonna surprise her at dinner.”

 

Charlie chuckled. “Now I’m tempted to come and see how it plays out.”

 

“Please don’t.” Lena unfolded her wings. “Goodbye Charlie.”

 

“Bugger off then.” There was a WOOSH and the other demon was gone, leaving Charlie alone on the roof. The demon looked at the at the ruined joint and, after deciding that it wasn’t worth re-igniting, flocked it off the roof. She leaned back against the roof with a sigh. Charlie knew that Lena meant well, after all, she was one of the few demons who didn’t use their status as an excuse to be a dick. 

 

But that was just it; she MEANT well. As much as Lena thought she could solve what ailed Charlie, the truth is that she couldn’t if she tried. No other celestial has had to live with this; having the thing that defined her ripped away. Shapeshifting was HER thing, HER power. But now it’s gone, along with anything that made her special.

 

She reached into her pockets and pulled out a handful of small, candy-like tablets. The demon had made them herself from the chemicals she had left over from making Nate’s cure. She had no idea how it would affect her, but the demon didn’t care. She needed this.

 

The demon closed her eyes as she dry-swallowed the whole handful. A small part of Charlie knew this wasn’t healthy, taking enough drugs to kill an elephant in one sitting, but she didn’t care. While she couldn’t change her whole body, her brain chemistry was another story.

 

This was the closest thing she had to shapeshifting she had anymore, and she’d be damned if anyone was going to take this from her. And as the dangerous cocktail of amphetamines, tranquilizers, and antipsychotics began to affect her brain, she smiled; perhaps this was enough to let her forget all the shit she’s done.

 

At least for a little while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! It seems like Charlie and Zari have something in common; they both should seriously consider going to therapy! Thank you for reading this chapter and I will see you next time.  
> Next time on REBIRTH: as ownership of the Waverider comes under threat, strange alliances are made to save the bar the legends hold so dear! (Introducing Morgan Edge, Helena Bertinelli, and everyone’s favorite adorable warewolf fucker: Mona Wu!)


	15. Morgan Edge (part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group comes together to stop Morgan Edge from buying out the Waverider. Meanwhile, Charlie makes some shady deals.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, a few things here. 1: thank you guys for reading the last few chapters. Nate may not be my favorite character to write, but I did my best. 2: this chapter premise was inspired by an episode of ‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’ called ‘The Gang Goes Jihad’. If you want a laugh, go check it out. 3: sorry for the wait on the chapter. I’m working on a supercorp companion piece to this story and I plan on releasing the first chapter soon.  
> With that out of the way, let’s dig in. I don’t own Legends of Tomorrow, but I wish I did.

(Waverider Bar, Sunday, October 21st, 1:00 PM)

It’s needless to say that the legends loved the Waverider. The bar had been the first meeting point for this ragtag group of friends and had been that way for the past few years. While some members of the group (Sara, Ray, Mick and Gideon) had been there since the beginning (and had, for a time, served as some of the bar’s first employees), it was still just as important to them as it was for the rest. In fact, sometimes the group would come in on the weekends to enjoy the midday lull of the bar and talk about their week. 

 

This time, however, it was different. Instead of having only the usual gang (Sara, Ava, Nate, Ray, and Zari) it now included a warlock, a hellhound in the form of a corgi, and a demon who was getting pretty annoyed with the group.

 

“This is bullshit,” she said as she crossed her arms, “after all I’ve done for you lot?”

 

Sara sipped her beer nonchalantly. “It’s already been decided, Charlie.”

 

The demon’s right index finger turned into a talon and, after using it to poke a hole in her beer can, proceeded to shotgun it in its entirety. “I can’t believe this. I go out of my way to save your lives and  _ this  _ is the thanks I get?” Charlie turned to warlock. While the two weren’t good friends  _ per say _ , they definitely weren’t enemies. Perhaps he was the solution to her problem. “Come on John, help me out here.”

 

Constantine shrugged. “Sorry love, it’s their choice.” He then pulled out a cigarette, but Sara flicked it away before he could light it, much to his annoyance.

 

“Charlie,” the hacker decided to speak, “we just decided that due to your... _ temporary  _ stay, and your less-than-ideal form, that maybe it would be better if you weren’t a legend.”

 

“How am I NOT legend material? Is it because I’m from hell?” She asked. “Because that’s some racist bullshit.”

 

“Not at all,” Zari shrugged. “Dante’s from hell too, and he’s a legend.”

 

Charlie looked at the hellhound with slack-jawed disbelief. “How the hell is _he_ in the gang but I’m not? You remember the hand thing, right?” 

 

The hacker shrugged as she continued to give the content hellhound a belly rub. “Dante’s cute, he can be a little mascot.” As she spoke, a square-jawed caucasian man in a business suit walked into the bar.

 

Sara noticed him quickly. “Can I help you?”

 

“Yes actually,” the man said with a smirk, “I’m looking for the owner of this establishment.”

 

“That would be me.”

 

“Excellent, my name is Morgan Edge.” The man shook Sara’s hand.

 

“Sara Lance. To what do I owe this visit?”

 

“I believe that this,” Mr. Edge pulled out an envelope, “should explain.”

 

Sara took the envelope and cautiously opened it. Inside was a piece of paper that looked like a contract. After reading it for a few seconds, Sara looked at the man angrily. “Are you fucking with me right now?”

 

Ava stood up. “Sara, what’s wrong?”

 

“This asshole’s trying to take my bar!”

 

Morgan simply smiled as he spoke. “There is no  _ try  _ about it Miss Lance. I already have. I’m signing the papers at five.”

 

Nate got up as well. “So you came here to do what, exactly, gloat?”

 

“Worse,” Sara handed him the paper, “he wants me to go down quietly.”

 

“All I want is for this deal to be as easy as possible for all of us. I’m not the bad guy here. In fact,” he pulled out a check and handed it to Sara, “I’m quite a reasonable guy.”

 

Sara looked at it like she had been slapped in the face. “This is-.”

 

“Financial compensation. Enough to set up in another location. Call it a gesture of good will. If you agree to play along and not take this matter to court, more funds shall be delivered to you.”

 

Zari joined her friends. “Why the hell do you want the Waverider anyway?”

 

“I don’t want the bar, I want the land. It’s sitting on prime Star City real estate.” Morgan looked at his watch. “Oh, look at the time, I need to go.” He then turned around as he left. “I’ll leave the contract with you, just send it to my secretary when you sign it.”

 

The tycoon left the bar and a silence took hold, only to be broken by Charlie. “You know, I can have Dante go outside and eat him.” Everyone turned to her with a look of horrified consideration. “Really. Just say the word and it’ll be no-muss-no-fuss.”

 

Nate shook his head as he turned to Sara. “What’s the game plan, Sara?”

 

Sara grabbed the glass and took a long sip as she thought of a plan. She emptied the glass and set it on the table. “First thing I need to do is talk my landlord.”

 

Ray spoke up. “Wait a minute, you’re not talking about who I think you’re talking about, are you?”

 

***(one hour later)

Helena Bertenelli was sitting at her desk when her assistant called her. “Ms. Bertenelli,” she said quietly, “there’s a woman here for you, but she doesn’t have an appointment. Should I have security send her away?”

 

The woman behind the desk considered for a moment. “What’s her name?”

 

“It’s a...Sara Lance?”

 

“Send her in.” 

 

-

Charlie sat with the rest of the group in the lobby as Sara went into the office. “So how does Sara know this ‘Helena’ exactly?”

 

“Yes,” Ava agreed, “I’m curious as well.”

 

Ray sighed. “Gideon, will you help me out here?”

 

The cook spoke from behind the newspaper she was reading. “After the tragic passing of Mister Snart, Miss Lance and Miss Bertinelli engaged in a bit of casual fornication. This lasted two months before Miss Lance put an end to it.”

 

Ava leaned back in her chair. “Well that was...clinical.”

 

“So the hot blonde decided to fuck the landlord?” Charlie chuckled. “I’ve seen about twenty videos with that premise since I arrived.” 

 

“I’m curious,” Ava said, “if I put a hole in your head right now, will you shut up? Because I have a gun right here and enough bullets to test my theory.” 

 

“Alright,” Charlie rolled her eyes. “I’ll stop. Just wanted a bit of fun.”

 

Ray sighed. “She wasn’t the landowner at the time though. When Rip used to run the bar, Helena’s father, Frank Bertenelli, was his landlord. He passed away a few weeks ago and left everything to his daughter. The only reason Sara even knew Helena was because they had classes together.”

 

Charlie raised an eyebrow. “My mistake then. I guess I haven’t seen a video like that yet.”

 

Ava took a deep breath and turned to Zari. “I’m going to kill her.”

 

“Wait until we leave,” the hacker said, “there are security cameras here.”

 

-

Sara paced in front of Helena’s desk until the businesswoman spoke. “It’s good to see you, Sara.”

 

“Don’t…” she held up a finger, “don’t start with that ‘good to see you’ bullshit. You know why I’m here.”

 

Helena bit her bottom lip nervously. She knew this was coming, she just didn’t want it to. “I’m sorry for what’s happening with your bar.”

 

“What is it, payback?” Sara shook her head. “I know we didn’t leave things on the best of terms, but this is low.”

 

“This,” Helena said as she leaned back in her chair, “is business.” It was clear that Sara did not believe her, so she stood up. “Listen, I’ll admit I was a little pissed when you broke things off, but I made my peace with it. In the end, I think both of us realized what we had wasn’t healthy.”

 

“So then why did you sell my bar...or the land, or...you know what? Doesn’t matter. Why are you fucking with my bar?”

 

Miss Bertenelli poured herself a drink as she looked out her window. “You were always honest with me, so I’ll grant you the same courtesy.” She took a sip. “I’m sure you’ve heard some of the allegations surrounding my father.”

 

Sara gulped. She had heard the rumors; money laundering, drug trafficking, real immoral mafia shit. “Yeah, I’ve heard. I thought they were just that: allegations.”

 

“So did I.” She shook her head. “But after he died, I got a good look at the type of people that were showing up to his funeral and I started asking around.” The woman downed the whole glass of whiskey as Sara sat down. “Whatever shit you heard about him on the news, I GUARANTEE I can name ten- no, FIFTY things he’s done that are worse.”

 

“Jesus.”

 

“I took a good look at it and decided that I was done; let my father’s work die with him. So I’m liquidating my assets, moving my ass somewhere new and getting myself a fresh start.”

 

“Come on Helena,” Sara said in a soft voice (perhaps she could play the nostalgia card), “you don’t need to sell the Waverider to get what you want.”

 

The woman’s tone changed to steel as she sat down. “Actually, Sara, I do. Mr. Edge agreed to pay one hundred million for that block. That single deal makes up half of my money supply. I’m sorry for what happened, but I have no choice.” She looked at her phone. “Now if you will please leave, I need to set up the paperwork for the purchase. Also, my secretary thinks your friends outside are insane and says one is trying to get other to shoot her.”

 

-

The group stood up as Sara left the office. “So, did you do it? Did you get the bar back?”

 

Sara shook her head solemnly. “No dice Ray,” she said, her voice lacking any emotion behind it, “Edge had a better offer. If you guys need me, I’ll be packing up my inventory.” Sara began to walk out with her hands in her pockets, but before she could leave…

 

“Wait.” Everyone turned to the demon who wore a face of annoyance. Straightening out her T-shirt, she presented herself to the group. “How do I look?”

 

Zari shook her head. “Charlie, what are you doing?”

 

“Give me five minutes alone with her.” She began to turn towards the door, but stopped to turn back to Sara. “You’re lucky your bar has a great piano.” She then turned and made her way over to the secretary. After a brief exchange with the slender brunette (during which she became more and more flustered), the demon was allowed in to see Miss Bertenelli.

 

Nate turned to the warlock. “John,” he said in a concerned voice, “you know her kind better than any of us. Is she going to kill her or what?”

 

John shrugged. “Honestly? No idea. But I guarantee within five minutes Charlie will walk out that door with everything she wants.”

 

-(five minutes later)

Charlie and Helena emerged from the office together as they shook each other’s hands. “Well I’m glad we could come to an agreement,” the demon said to her in a cheerful voice.

 

“Agreed,” the mortal businesswoman said in an equally friendly tone, “I don’t know why Miss Andreas was so concerned.” She cast a glance over to her secretary. “I hope she wasn’t any trouble.”

 

“Oh please, we just needed to get to know each other. Isn’t that right,  _ Lisa _ ?” Charlie cast a seductive glance at the secretary, who looked away with a blush. The demon shook the woman’s hand. “Listen, I’m so glad we were able to talk. If you need anything, and I do mean  _ anything _ , do not hesitate to call.”

 

“The feeling is mutual, Miss Jiwae. I’ll call Mr. Edge right now and let him know about the change in the deal. I’m sure he will be accommodating.” 

 

Helena closed the door behind her and Charlie turned to see the legends, bug eyed with surprise. “What,” she asked nonchalantly, “did I go over the five minute mark?”

 

Zari was the first to say something. “What the fuck did you do to her?”

 

“Oh, Z,” Charlie said with fondness in her voice, “you wound me. I’m a very charming person if you give me a chance.”

 

“So is that it? Do we have the Waverider back? Did you get her to say no to Morgan Edge?”

 

“I like you Ray, you always ask the relevant questions; what happened, how did it go?” The demon plopped herself down next to her human handler and smiled. “I’m afraid, though, that it is a bit of a yes-and-no scenario.” She tried to put an arm over Zari’s shoulder but the girl slapped it away. “She’s agreed to officially turn down Mr. Edge’s offer, but that doesn’t mean that we have the bar.”

 

Sara shook her head. “Then what-?”

 

“She has agreed to stake ownership of the block on a private auction. Certain portions will be sold individually, including the land upon which the Waverider resides.” There was a cheer as the legends lept from their chairs. They rained compliments and praises upon the demon who only responded with sarcastic comments and faux modesty.

 

However, as Sara, Ray, Nate and Ava (John just sat in his chair as he shared a flask with Mick) grouped up to discuss their next move, Zari leaned over. “I’m curious,” the hacker whispered, “how exactly did you convince her to go along with your plan?”

 

Charlie smiled. ‘And this,’ she said to herself, ‘is why Zari is our favorite.’ Zari was the type of girl to get into the dirty details. Throughout her life, the most prominent questions mortals asked the demon were mostly surface level; what did she do, why did she do it. Zari, on the other hand, asked  _ how _ . Usually those were details she kept to herself (after all, humans tend to get squeamish when it comes to the affairs of demons), but for some reason she never felt that need when she was around Zari. 

 

The demon whispered. “It’s simple; I paid her 75% of what Edge was offering. That way, even if she only gets half of what Morgan offered to her at that auction, she’s still going to have at least seventy five million in the bank.” Zari looked surprised, but Charlie reassured her. “Don’t worry, I can afford it.”

 

Zari seemed to consider this for a second before speaking again. “So you took the legitimate approach,” she said, approval creeping in her voice, “good job. You’re acting like a decent human being.” 

 

Charlie made her signature Cheshire grin. “Only acting love,” she purred, “only acting.” Zari rolled her eyes as she joined the group. After some time deliberating, the legends prepared to leave. But before they did, Charlie walked over and sat with Mick and John. “Hello boys.”

 

“Charlie,” John smiled, “good job on getting the bird to listen to you. I should take you with me to Vegas sometime. We could rule that city together.”

 

“Oh I bet,” she smiled, “but before we do that, I have a business proposition for you two.”

 

“Why us?” Mick asked.

 

“Because in addition to being the two I trust the most, you guys are also my favorite out of everyone.” Charlie considered for a moment. “Except Zari.”

 

Mick and John looked at each other for a moment before coming to a silent understanding. “So love, what’s this proposition, exactly?”

 

The demon smiled. “How would you two like to save the bar and screw over a rich asshat for twenty grand each?”

 

***(Auction hall, October 24th, 5:30 P.M)

Charlie, Zari, Ava, Ray, Sara and Nate all sat together in the large room with numbered paddles in their hands. While the auction had started well, it was no longer in their favor. While there weren’t as many bidders there as they thought there would be (roughly about ten separate bidders), it was clear that the legend’s price range was much lower than some of the others.

 

The bid had started at one million dollars, with growing increments of one million to five million and now to ten million. While many of the less interested bidders opted out, both the legends and Morgan Edge still remained. The two sides kept bidding until the legends encountered a problem at the seventy million marker; Nate couldn’t finance them any more. Seeing the group’s panic, Edge made one final, cocky bid; one hundred million dollars. The group could only watch in horror as the auctioneer counted down.

 

“Going once.”

 

Silence.

 

“Going twice.”

 

Sara looked over to see the suited asshole bearing a shit-eating grin.

 

“So-.”

 

Suddenly a voice rang out. “Two hundred and fifty million!” A collective gasp went out. Looking to the back row, Sara saw that the voice came from a pair dressed in expensive black suits. One was a fair-skinned woman with ample features jet-black hair that befitted only the most stereotypical of Italians. The other was a large, caramel-skinned man with large muscles (clearly a bodyguard of some kind).

 

Morgan Edge, realizing what was happening, offered a bid of two hundred and sixty, but the pair offered another bid, just as quickly. What followed was a bidding war which ended with the mysterious pair buying the property for five hundred million dollars.

 

The look on Mr. Edge’s face, however, was priceless.

 

After the bidding was over, Sara got up and made her way over to the duo. “Excuse me,” she asked, getting their attention, “can I talk with you for a second?”

 

The pair seemed to consider this before the woman spoke. “I suppose we have a few minutes, what would you like to discuss?” The way she spoke felt off to Sara. It was like she was a businesswoman ripped straight out of a movie; someone who exudes a holier-than-thou attitude and speaks in a condescending monotone.

 

“I just-,” Sara shook her head, “Who are you?”

 

The woman handed her a card. “We’re from Cerberus Industries.”

 

“I’ve never heard-.” 

 

“We’re new,” the woman said quietly, “but we are growing quickly.”

 

“Forgive me if I sound too direct,” the bartender said, “but why do you wish to purchase that property?”

 

“I take it you’re the owner of the restaurant that lies on the property?” Sara nodded. “Well, there is no need to worry. The individual we represent has no intention of interfering with your business.”

 

“I-.”

 

By this time, the rest of the group was showing up, including a pissed off Morgan Edge (who was not doing that good of a job at hiding it). “Excuse me,” the square-jawed businessman said, “who-?”

 

Without breaking eye-contact with Sara, the woman handed him a card. “Cerberus Industries. We must be going so if you have questions call the number on the card,” she motioned to her partner (who was half a torso taller than her), “and as for you, Sara Lance, we will keep in touch.” And with that they walked away.

 

Now, whether it was due to the heat of the moment, or just basic human error, Sara forget to notice one thing; not once had she told them her name.

 

***(Morgan Edge’s office, 6:45 PM)

“Let me ask again,” Morgan spoke with barely hidden rage, “how the hell did we not plan for this?”

 

Mr. Edge’s assistant, a bespectacled twenty-something named Tim, tried to explain. “Mr. Edge, sir,” the man nervously stated, “as I said before, the reason we had no idea that this ‘Cerberus Industries’ was going to show up was because, until an hour before the auction, it simply did not exist.”

 

“I know what you FUCKING SAID! What I want to know is HOW?” Of course he knew  _ how _ a shell company can be formed (after all, Morgan Edge develop his questionable business practices without picking up a thing or two), he just didn’t know how it happened in this case. More specifically, he had no idea how a shell company that had been formed in less than an hour before an auction already had staff and backing. 

 

He had his assistant try to track the corporation to its source in hopes of finding something that would nullify the deal, but no matter how hard he looked, everything was clean. In fact, Tim had even described it as one of the weirdest things he’d ever seen (actually, this was only the weirdest thing he’d seen at work. The weirdest thing he’d seen/experienced EVER had occurred three weeks ago when, after a night consisting of consensual, ‘recreational scolding’, his mistress had made him go downstairs and cook breakfast for her and her roommate).

 

Suddenly Morgan’s phone began to ring. He pulled it out and, after recognizing the number, turned to his assistant. “Get out.” After those instructions were followed, the mogul accepted the call. “Mrs. K,” he said in a nervously respectful tone, “to what do I owe this call?”

 

“ _ I would just like to confirm that you are holding up our end of the bargain.” _ The man cringed. While he had never met this ‘Mrs. K’ in person, there was something about her voice that made the hairs on his neck stand on end.

 

“We um...hit a minor snag.”

 

There was a long silence before the woman spoke. “ _ Define the ‘snag’ to which you speak _ .”

 

“There was another bidder at the auction. Swooped in at the last second and bought it.”

 

“ _ Who? _ ”

 

“A male and a female: real business type. Said that they were working for a company called ‘Cerberus Industries.’” There was another long silence, but this time a strange, indescribable feeling began to envelop Mr. Edge. It was the kind of intuition that came from the millions upon millions of years of biological evolution, the same instincts his genetic ancestors used to tell when predators were nearby. While Morgan Edge may have had absolutely no idea  _ why _ he felt the way he did, he couldn’t escape the feeling that the woman on the other end of the phone...was  _ smiling _ .

 

Shaking his head, the man continued. “What do you think I should do?”

 

“ _ It doesn’t matter  _ **_what_ ** _ you do, Mister Edge _ ,” the woman said coldly. “ _ All that matters is that you acquire that property. You do not want to let us down. Are we clear? _ ”

 

“Crystal.”

 

The woman hung up and Morgan pulled out the business card. There was a small number on the back of it, which he looked at warily, and the words ‘for contacting Miss Jiwae, please call:’. A part of him cautioned against calling the number, but he knew he had no choice. Mr. Edge had no idea  _ how  _ it happened, but he knew that he was now in deep shit with the kind of people you don’t want to be in deep shit went. If the first phone call he had with them (which coincided with the arrival of twelve pounds of C4 delivered right to his office with a note that said ‘in case you disagree with us’) was any indication , he did not want to lose this deal. 

 

‘You can sell this, come on.’

 

Morgan Edge dialed the number on the card and waited for the person on the other hand to pick up.

 

***

At the same time, a burner phone in Charlie’s pocket began to ring. ‘Finally,’ she thought, ‘it's about time he called.’ The demon sat up on her bed and smiled as she flipped open the phone. “Hello, this is Cerberus Industries. How may I help you?”

 

“ _ Hi there, I’m Morgan Edge-.” _

 

“Ah, Mister Edge, we’ve been expecting you.” There was a long pause that made the demon chuckle. She clearly managed to get under his skin.

 

_ “You...have?” _

 

“Of course,” She rustled some papers she had placed beside her, “I assume that you would like to schedule a meeting with Miss Jiwae?”

 

_ “Why yes I would.” _

 

Charlie gave herself a mental high-five; this was too easy. “Excellent, Miss Jiwae should be available tomorrow at twelve o’clock.” The demon made a mental note to tell J’onn she had something to do for tomorrow. “Will that work?”

 

_ “Sounds good, I’ll come see her then.” _

 

It was then that Charlie realized that she didn’t actually have an office for him to come see, so she thought on the fly. “Actually, would it be okay if she came to visit you? The work on our office hasn’t been completed yet, so we’re in a temporary space right now.” The demon was quite satisfied. After all, she technically wasn’t lying. She WAS in the process of doing some work in her room (the shelves in her room were far too bland for her taste), which was technically her office. She was also telling the truth about the temporary space (after all, this WAS a one-time job).

 

The man on the other end of the phone seemed to consider this.  _ “Sounds good. Trust me, I know how much of a pain in the ass renovations can be.” _

 

“Indeed they are, Sir.”

 

_ “Well then, I’ll see Miss Jiwae tomorrow. Is there an email that I can send a valet pass to?” _

 

Charlie nodded as her plans came in motion. “Thank you for being so understanding. The email is…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoy the chapter. Please leave comments, kudos, or constructive criticism.  
> Next time on Rebirth: a business meeting, an explosion, a kidnapped(?) child, and an ol’ switcheroo.  
> P.S. if you plan on calling me out, a few disclaimers. Any non-comic book names are decided based on random name generator, so any references to real people are coincidence. Also, I’m not an expert on real estate, so I most likely am wrong about so many things and I apologize.


	16. Morgan Edge (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The demon and the CEO meet.  
> I do not own Legends of Tomorrow, but I REALLY wish I did.

***(October 25th 12:01 PM)

_“I think you are laying this on a bit too much.”_

 

The demon scoffed at the dog’s words. “Well,” she reminded him, “I don’t see you coming up with any better options.” The hellhound made a low rumbling noise: an audible sign of his disappointment. The pair were sitting in the lobby of Morgan Edge’s eyesore of a building as they waited for Charlie’s appointment. The demon was dressed to the nines in a suit while Dante was sufficiently de-mohocked. Technically the dog wasn’t supposed to be in the building, but it was nothing a sufficient bribe and the hellhound’s unholy growl couldn’t handle. 

 

 _“Know what you’re going to say,”_ the dog asked cautiously.

 

“Miss Jiwae,” Charlie turned to see a brunette woman standing next to her, “Mr. Edge is ready for you.”

 

“Suppose that doesn’t matter now,” she said under her breath. The demon then picked up the hellhound and held it in her arms. “Let’s go, Dante.” The woman led the demon to the elevator and, after reaching the top floor, stepped out into yet another waiting space. However, this one was different; this time there was a single door with a human sitting at a desk next to it. Drawing upon her experience last Sunday, Charlie approached the man behind the desk who seemed to be engrossed in his work. “Hello,” she said sweetly, “I believe I have an appointment with Mister Edge.”

 

Stopping his work, the assistant turned to look at her. “You must be Miss-.” Suddenly he stopped, and the look on his face turned from one of focus to one of surprise and...embarrassment?

 

“Jiwae,” Charlie finished. She motioned towards the door. “May I go in…” she looked at his name tag, “Tim?”

 

 _‘ **Hahaha** ,’ _a voice in Charlie’s subconscious laughed.

 

_‘What? Do I know him from somewhere?’_

 

_‘ **Oh yeah, and he certainly remembers you.’** _

 

“Y-Yeah,” Tim stuttered, “he’s expecting you.” 

 

After ignoring the weird awkwardness she felt from the man behind the desk (and the weird feeling that she had met him before), Charlie opened the door and entered the office. It was a large, open room that, in addition to containing several decorations, included a sofa, a rug, and a single desk. The office also featured a floor to ceiling windows that served as the wall behind the said desk. From there, she could see many of the skyscrapers in Star City, as well as the docks along the shoreline.

 

“Beautiful view, isn’t it?” Charlie turned to see that the voice to her right was none other than Morgan Edge, opening a glass bottle filled with a brown liquid (brandy...she could smell it the minute he opened the bottle). “Star City,” he said as he poured the liquid into two glass cups, “the captain of the west coast industry and a stunning metropolis if I do say so myself.” He walked over and placed a glass in the woman’s hand. “What do you think?” 

 

Charlie took a sip as she strode over to the window. “Rome.”

 

“I’m sorry?”

 

“Rome,” she said calmly, “Constantinople,” the demon seemed to consider for a second, “Baghdad before the Mongols invaded.” Charlie took another sip as she smiled and purred. “Mmmmm, _Athens_ .” She turned back to the confused Morgan Edge. “ _Those_ were cities: beacons of not only economic development, but life and culture as well”

 

“A student of history, are we?”

 

“Something like that.”

 

Morgan smiled. “Please,” he said, “take a seat.” The demon obliged and the businessman continued as he sat down. “I understand that you have recently purchased a small plot of land just outside of Star City.”

 

“The Waverider,” Charlie clarified.

 

“Exactly, The Waverider.” the businessman took a sip from his drink. “A bar that was started up by a man named Rip Hunter. Worked as head bartender and owner for eight years before moving out to Arizona with his now-husband Jonah Hex,” the man chuckled, “who is the only person I’ve ever seen fully pull off a cowboy look.” He shook his head. “Anyway, it was during this transitional state that mister Hunter transferred ownership of the property to one Sara Lance: one of his first employees. Gave her full control in exchange for a bottle of whiskey and two shot glasses.” 

 

The demon raised an eyebrow with smug admiration. “Well, seems like someone did their homework. 

 

“I thought so as well, until a company I’d never heard of came out of nowhere and somehow managed to outbid me.”

 

Charlie raised an eyebrow with playful curiosity. “Forgive me for saying this, but right now I’m getting a very Bond-villain-esque ‘you’ve foiled my plans for the last time’ kind of vibe from you right now.” she cocked her head to her drink. “Should I be concerned about what I just drank?” 

 

The two shared a laugh before Morgan spoke. “Well, I do apologize for that. Now that you point it out, it did kinda sound like that.” The man sighed. “You don’t need to worry. I just wanted to say that this whole scenario presents an...opportunity.”

 

“How so?”

 

“I’m glad you asked,” he said with a smile. “Tell me, what are your plans for the property?”

 

Charlie spoke succinctly. “My plan is to let it be. I have a good feeling about that bar. They have managed to turn a profit of over fifty percent every year since opening. With numbers like that, I can foresee a good profit being made from being their landlord. And besides, it’s a nice place.”

 

“While I can admit that the waverider has a certain charm, what if I told you that is sitting on top of a MAJOR payday?”

 

“Do go on.” 

 

The man made a face that the demon had seen thousands of times before; the look of someone who thought that they held all the cards. Poor boy had no idea. “A few weeks ago, I was contacted by some certain well-funded individuals who were very interested in a large plot of land. Land which happened to include the property which you now own.”

 

“Who exactly are these ‘well-funded individuals’ you speak of?”

 

“The names are unimportant,” the businessman said quickly, “what’s important is the money.” He leaned forward in his seat. “Right now, they are offering a lucrative amount of money to build on that property.”

 

“And I suppose that you plan on getting that paycheck?”

 

“You would assume correctly.”

   

“So this IS one of those ‘make ‘em an offer they can’t refuse’ meetings.” Charlie’s eyes glanced over to her drink. "I'm beginning to get concerned about my drink again." 

 

The man chuckled. “Again, not at all. As I said, this is an opportunity. If I can be frank for a second, Miss Jiwae, I like you. Sure, you may have screwed up my deal, but you did it with style. I think that if we work together, we can each make a profit.” Mister Edge smirked. “What do you say?”

 

The demon waited a minute before responding in order to give the illusion of consideration. “I’m sorry, Morgan, but I’m not planning on developing right now.”

 

“Are you sure that this is the path you wish to take?”

 

“I’m sure.”

 

The Businessman shrugged. “Well then, that is a shame.” Suddenly, his eyes seemed to bore into Charlie’s with a scary level of focus. “Before you leave, though, may I ask you a question?”

 

“Sure, why not?”

 

“Miss Jiwae, do you know how many times I've been genuinely surprised since I started this company?" He held up the fingers on both his hands. "Exactly ten times. Now that may not seem all that significant to you, but nine of those were caused by random accidents, earthquakes, unpredictable acts of God." He then put up one finger. " **You** are the one exception."

 

Charlie shrugged her shoulders. "Wouldn't be the first time I've been compared to a force of nature."

 

"Perhaps you are."

 

"What makes you say that?"

 

“Well,” Morgan began typing something into his computer, “after I heard you had outbid me, I decided to do a little bit of investigating.” He then began to read aloud. “Top of her class at Oxford, started her own business junior year, and is now one of the most successful women in the world. You even have business with L-corp.” He looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “It’s all very impressive.”

 

“Thank you?” She said in a questioning tone. “Glad to hear you approve.”

 

“But do you know what’s more impressive? The fact that these records didn’t exist last week.” Charlie was going to speak, but Morgan stopped her. “Don’t bother, I’ve had my people check them. I meant what I said, by the way, the records are surprisingly well-forged. But in the end, they are nothing but a farce.” He shrugged. “On paper, you simply do not exist. So I’m curious...who are you?”

 

The demon smirked. “Is this supposed to be your ‘trump card’ or something?”

 

“Well, in front of the right judge, it could make a pretty good case for identity falsification. Maybe even a few organized crime charges for good measure.” When his words seemed to have no effect on charlie, he continued. “The funds you used came from a bank in Italy, account 0000001. Pretty impressive, considering the bank is over 200 years old. Anyway, through some little digging, I found that that account has been sending funds to some...less than reputable recipients. It sure would be a shame if the authorities were to find out about that.” 

 

“So this is your plan? I give you control over my property so that I...what, don’t go to jail?”

 

“I’m not saying that _explicitly,_ ” he stressed, “but I wouldn’t be surprised if your life suddenly started resembling the innermost circle of hell.” After a few seconds of silence, Charlie began laughing. “Did I say something funny?”

 

The demon shook her head as a look of pure mirth spread across her face. “First of all,” she said as she chuckled, “the next time you want to reference the idea of hell, don’t base all your knowledge on what is essentially fourteenth-century fanfiction.”

 

“I’m sorry...what did you just-.”

 

“And second of all,” the demon cut him off, “ _Inferno_ says that the innermost circle is reserved for betrayers, so wrong circle.” 

 

“What does this have to do with-.”

 

Charlie sighed as she crossed her arms. “But now that you say it,” she said with a smile, “I am a little curious as to which circles I would end up in.” The demon considered this for a second. “Let’s see, first circle is for the unbaptized and/or blasphemous.” She leaned in closer. “Between you and me, my very EXISTENCE is blasphemous, so check on that.” She held up two fingers as though she was counting. “The second circle is reserved for the lustful, so of course I’d fit right in. The third circle is for the gluttonous. Not sure about this one because the only real ‘eating’ I do is eating out.” Dante barked and she shrugged. “On the other hand, though, alcohol counts as consumption, so let’s add that one on.” At this point, Morgan Edge was beginning to question if the woman before him was even sane. “The fourth circle is for the greedy. I like to treat myself so add that one too. Circle five is for the wrathful, the real pissed off motherfuckers.” Charlie considered this before shaking her head. “I’m going to have to go with a no on this one. Personally, the only time I’m really wrathful is when someone is actively trying to piss me off.” Having raised all five fingers on one hand, Charlie raised one finger on her left hand. “Circle six is for the heretics, I think circle one answered this one pretty well, so Imma say yes.”

 

“Alright, I get it.”

 

“Hold on, I’m not finished.” Charlie continued with glee. “Now, the seventh, eighth, and ninth circles get a bit screwy, but I’ll do my best to explain.” she held up a second finger on her left hand. “The seventh circle is reserved for the violent. But that is a SURPRISINGLY large category, so luckily there are a ringed sections. The first ring is for those who are violent against neighbors; you know, tyrants, conquerors, murderers. As much as I hate it, I would end up there. The second circle is for those who commit violence against themselves and OH BOY do I qualify for that. The last circle is for the blasphemers. Circle one already covered this, but for the sake of variety, I am going to go with this one because Dante included homosexuality in this circle.” The demon stood up, grinning like a madman as she continued. “Onward to the eighth circle of fraud and the malebolge! The first bolge is for the panderers and,” she struck a pose, “seducers. Well, guilty as charged. Second bolge is for flatterers. Again, guilty. The third one is for those who sell religious positions for money.” The demon shrugged. “Yeah, I don’t get it either, Dante was weird. So that one is a no. The fourth one is for sorcerers and magic users, so guilty. Fifth is for corrupt politicians.” She leaned in. “I don’t know about you, but I’m more of a _corrupter_ than a corrupted, so no.” The demon returned to normal position. “Sixth is for the hypocrites. I may be a lot of things, but I’m no hypocrite. Seventh is for thieves, I’ll own up to this one, but only against assholes. Eighth is for those who have abused power and ninth is for those who have spread discord. Guilty of both. And the last bolge is for alchemists, which...why? And also, no.”

Morgan edge was really starting to get annoyed, but Charlie continued. “Finally we reach the ninth circle, filled with traitors. And I’m going to same you some time and just say that I would only apply for the traitor of kin category.” Charlie sighed and sat down. “So, final rundown; I’m in rings one, two, three, four, six, all three sections of ring three, bolge one, two, four, seven, eight and nine, and the first section of the ninth ring.”

 

“Oh thank christ,” morgan sighed, “you’re finally done. Was there a point to this?”

 

The demon gave a cheshire grin. “Oh Morgan, I just wanted to let you know what you’re in for.”

 

“What the fu-.”

 

“Now,” Charlie interrupted, “I don’t know your whole life, so I don’t know every circle you’d apply for. But after doing a bit of research, I can confirm a few circles.” She raised an eyebrow sarcastically. “Do you want me to go in order of severity or follow the ‘circle’ structure.”

 

The businessman stood up. “I think it’s time you-.”

 

“Circle two,” the demon spoke in a steel-like voice, “the sin of lust.”

 

“What the hell are you talking about?”

 

“In the ten years you have been CEO, over twenty women in your company have collectively filed over seventy sexual harassment complaints. Now, despite this insane number of complaints, there have been no charges against you.”

 

“Obviously they were made up.”

 

“I thought so too,” the demon said in a monotone voice, “until I noticed that large sums of money have been transferred into the bank accounts of both the head of HR and a member of the IT department, more specifically, the person in charge for the security cameras.” She shrugged. “I asked some of my more technically-inclined siblings for some help, and after an hour they found all the footage. The only positive thought I had while I was watching it was when I noticed you were a boob man as well.”

 

Morgan Edge stammered in disbelief. “I assure you, whatever accusations you are making are completely unfounded.”

 

“Circle three,” Charlie continued, “greed. Tell me, does the number fourteen billion seven hundred and fifty-six million seventy-one thousand six hundred and sixteen mean anything to you?” The businessman said nothing. “Well it should, it’s the exact amount of money you have been skimming off the top. Fourteen billion seven hundred and fifty-six million seventy-one thousand six hundred and sixteen dollars and twenty-one cents.” The demon shrugged. “I was able to figure it out after taking a look at your books. I’m curious, what’s the IRS’s policy on tax fraud?”

 

“Listen here you-.”

 

“I’d watch your tone, I’m not done with listing yet.” That seemed to shut him up and the demon continued. “There are a few more that you belong in, but they are mostly repeats of what I said before. But there is one... _special_ sin that you have committed. Round one of the ninth circle: treachery against one’s family.”

 

“I don’t know what you’re-”

 

“Do **not** finish that sentence. I **know** .” A ghost of a sentence that was on the businessman’s lips faded away. “The police never figured why your two older brothers suddenly suffered fatal accidents. No one thought to suspect the person who had the most to gain from preemptively removing the competition to mommy and daddy’s inheritance. But,” she shrugged, “you can’t blame them for not thinking of it. After all,” there was a faint growling in the air and Morgan Edge turned to see that the dog Charlie brought in was now looking at him like he was ribeye, “what kind of thirteen-year old could find it in them to do something so callous, so heartless, so _inhuman_ to their own family members?”

 

There was silence in the room until the businessman spoke. “Who-no, _What_ , are you?”

 

The demon only laughed. “It’s like you said before, Morgan,” she gave him a smirk (which was somehow more terrifying than when she was angry), “I’m a force of nature.” The demon then stood up and arranged her things. “Well, Mister Edge,” the woman said nonchalantly, “It has been a pleasure to meet you, but I’m afraid that I must be going.” She turned to him. “Should I get my parking validated with your assistant or should I do it with your front desk?”

 

The businessman stammered. “F-Front desk…”

 

“Great! Glad we could have this meeting.” 

 

Charlie turned to her dog and, after instructing him to follow, the two walked side-by-side out of the room. Leaving Morgan Edge alone. He then picked up the phone and dialed a secret number which rang twice before the recipient picked up. 

 

 _“Mister Edge,”_ the person on the other end greeted in a cheerful tone, _“how was the meeting?”_

 

“The results were...disappointing.”

 

_“Oh man, I know what THAT voice means. I take it we’re still on?”_

 

“Without question, blow that bitch to kingdom come. The sooner the-.”

 

_“It's already been done. I have it rigged up to her ignition, and there will be no evidence to suggest it was anything but an accident.”_

 

“Much appreciated, Taurus.”

 

 _“Awwww,”_ the caller said sarcastically, _“I never knew you cared.”_

 

The businessman rolled his eyes. “Just get it done. She knows too much to be running around.”

 

***(fifteen minutes later in the parking lot)

The demon and the hellhound walked together through the parking lot until they found Charlie’s “CEO car,” a blood-red 2018 lamborgini huracan. While it was a bit gosh for her tastes, the demon figured it would help sell her story of being a billionaire.

 

And besides, she loved to hear the engine purr.

 

The demon unlocked the car and the hellhound turned to her. _“Hey, do you need me the rest of the day?”_

 

“Nah, you’re good.”

 

 _“Sweet,”_ the dog sighed, _“I’m gonna head back home. Seeya!”_

 

“Have fun.” With that, the hellhound hopped into the air and disappeared into a fiery crack in the air that spontaneously appeared and disappeared in an instant. Now alone, Charlie sighed as she entered the expensive car and turned it on. Suddenly, the demon felt a rumble in the engine. In the millisecond before the car exploded, there were only two thoughts in the driver’s head.

 

The first was her realization that someone had placed a pound of thermite in her car.

 

The second was her mentally criticising those who had done this for the noticable lack of creativity in their choice of attempted murder. 

 

_‘I mean, really? JUST thermite? I’m worth at LEAST a small hydrogen bomb.’_


	17. Morgan Edge (part 3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joe West and Barry Allen investigate a car wreck. Meanwhile, Charlie gets some advice from an unlikely source.  
> I don't own legends of tomorrow/arrowverse, but I wish I did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long break in between updates guys. This chapter may not be as good as some of the others you may have read, for reasons that will be discussed at the bottom, but for right now enjoy the chapter.

***(one hour after chapter 16)

Joe West sighed as he walked on to the scene. The small parking lot was filled with ambulances, fellow cops, and fire control. The kid in him (the one that remembered the glory days of law-enforcement television, where every case was considered the highest priority) was excited to see all the vehicles and personnel. But the cop in him, the one that had been on the force for over twenty years, could only shake his head in disappointment. 

 

After all, the only reason this was a high priority was because the person who owned this parking lot occasionally plays golf with the mayor.

 

Deciding that his thoughts would be better spent elsewhere, the detective began to take a bite of his donut. “Hey Joe,” a familiar voice suddenly said behind him (and almost caused him to choke), “glad to see you’re here.”

 

Coughing, the detective turned around to see the smiling baby-face of his foster son and son-in-law. “Jesus, Barry,” he said as he cleared his chest, “remind me to put a bell on you.”

 

“Sorry.” Barry then spotted what the detective had in his hands. “Wait,” he chuckled, “is that a donut?”

 

“Yeah, why?”

 

“I’ve been a CSI for two years now, and I have known you even longer. I’ve NEVER seen you eat a donut. I thought you hated them.”

 

“What are you talking about? Everyone likes donuts.” Barry shook his head. “You set up shop yet?”

 

“Not yet, just got there. I was going to go try to get the rundown.” He motioned over to the fire department guys. “Wanna join?”

 

“Can’t hurt.” With that, the two made their way over to the man in a in an unzipped black jacket with two yellow, holographic lines. The detective quickly realized who this was. “Captain Birch!”

 

The portly fire captain looked over to Joe with a smile on his face. “Detective! How are you doing?” Suddenly a puzzled look came over him. “Didn’t know you ate donuts.”

 

“See!”

“Alright,” Joe rolled his eyes, “knock it off. I’m allowed at least one vice. Besides, as far as I’m concerned, it’s much more benign than some of the others I could have pursued.” He nodded his head to the captain. “What’s the story here?”

 

The fire officer brought the pair over to the smouldering remains of the car. “Officially, we believe that it’s just an accident.”

 

Joe understood what the man was saying. “And unofficially?”

 

“I’m going to be frank with you two: this is a weird one.” 

 

“How so?”

 

In response to the detective’s question, Birch shrugged and looked over to Barry. “You're with forensics, right?” Barry nodded. “Some of my men spotted some red dust along the side of the engine block. Does that usually happen with a ride this nice?”

 

Barry turned to Joe. “Thermite bomb. If it ignited the gasoline in the car, it would look like nothing was wrong.” he began fumbling with his case. “I need to collect some samples.”

 

“Before you do that,” the captain stopped him, “there’s something else you should see.” He then took the two and walked over to the driver’s side. While it was still in as bad shape as the rest of the car, Joe couldn’t help but notice that the door was completely and utterly mangled and misshapen.

 

All of a sudden, Barry looked confused. “What the hell?” He turned to the captain. “No one has touched this yet, right?” 

 

“Swear on my sainted mother.”

 

Joe spoke up. “Is there something I’m missing, or…”

 

Barry sighed. “Sorry, it’s just...the soot and dispersal of damage is wrong.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“You see over on the other side how it’s completely charred?”

 

“Yeah, so is this one.”

 

“I mean, sure. It IS burned, but if you look here,” he motioned his gloved hand over a large portion of the back of the chair, “there’s a whole section that has less damage.”

 

“So, what? Are you saying that there was someone IN the car when it was burning?

 

Barry shook his head. “Not just IN the car, this guy took the full blast of the explosion. By all accounts, there should be a body here.”

 

Sensing a need for more information, the captain spoke up. “According to what was left of the licence plate, the car belonged to one ‘Miss Jiwae’.”

 

The scientist stopped cold. “I’m sorry, did you say ‘Jiwae’? J-I-W-A-E?”

 

Birch looked surprised. “Yeah, actually. Why? Do you know her?”

 

“No,” he said absentmindedly as he turned back to the car, “well, kinda. She’s my daughter’s history teacher-.” he turned back to the two men. “This is a high-end luxury car. How the heck could she even afford it?”

 

“Ask her yourself,” the fireman said, “she arguing with the paramedics right now.”

 

***

“Ma’am,” the man said to the woman dressed solely in sweatpants and a sweatshirt, “once again, I am strongly advising that you permit us to take your vitals.” 

 

“And once again,” the demon snarked, “it seems that I must remind you how much that title annoys me.”

 

The paramedic groaned as he felt a headache coming on. “You were on the scene of a major accident that managed to burn your clothes off. We just want to make sure that you’re okay.”

 

“So what? I’m absolutely fine. I have clothes this time, so can I please go?”

 

“Ma’am, you didn’t have a pulse until we commented on it!”

 

“What did you just say you little-!”

 

“Miss Jiwae!” The demon looked over to see the portly fire captain and two detectives standing outside the ambulance. “Can we have a word with you?”

 

Charlie turned to the nervous paramedic. “Oh I see, you needed to buy time for your friends to come over and force me to accept treatment. That’s a real cheap move man,” she then leaned in closer and whispered in a seductive tone, “but I like it.”

 

“Take a walk kid, let the detectives deal with this one.”

 

The paramedic followed instructions and the demon huffed. “Pussy. What do you two wa-,” suddenly Charlie stopped. After sniffing the air a few times she cocked her head to the side and stared at the pair before her. “I know you two…”

 

Joe spoke up. “I’m afraid you’re mistaken, Miss. I-.”

 

Charlie shook her head. “Sorry, you’re right. I’m afraid I’ve misspoken.” She chuckled. “Part of your scents are familiar.” The demon sniffed the air again and turned to Barry with a smile. “You must be Nora’s father.”

 

At this point Barry was beginning to feel the hairs on his neck raise slightly. “I am,” he said in a confused tone, “how did you know-.”

 

“Same way I know that the tall drink of water standing next to you is your father- no,  _ adopted _ father.” The demon’s smile grew as she watched the two become confused. “Your scent is similar to his. That only happens two ways: you two are biologically related, or you have spent long periods of time in each other’s presence, i.e. an adopted father.” She smiled as the two accepted the information. "You and Nora have a similar scent so it's obvious you're the father and he's the...biological grandfather too? What the fuck...?"

 

‘That’s not creepy at all,’ Joe thought as he began to speak. “Well, since you are in such a sharing mood, do you mind explaining how your car managed to explode in the middle of a parking garage?”

 

“Well you see, one minute the car was normal, then the next moment it was a fireball.” The demon shrugged. “I don’t know what else to tell you.”

 

“The report says that you were found almost completely…” Barry felt awkward, but he finished the sentence, “naked. What little clothes you still had on were completely scorched. Would you mind telling me how that happened?”

 

“Fire ruined my clothes.” The demon got up and began searching the cabinets of the ambulance.

 

“Yet somehow you were left unharmed?”

 

“Good luck I suppose.”

 

“And were you inside the car or outside of it when it exploded?”

 

Charlie smirked as she turned towards the CSI while holding a bottle of rubbing alcohol. “Girl’s gotta keep some secrets.” She popped the cap open and began drinking the contents.

 

Knowing this line of questioning wasn’t going anywhere, Joe stepped in. “Do you know of anyone who would do this, anyone who would wish you harm?”

“I’m a teacher. I don’t remember every F I’ve ever given.”

 

“Do you think it may have to do with why you came to Morgan Edge’s office?”

 

Charlie rolled her eyes. “We just had a friendly talk regarding some properties.”

 

“Properties?” Barry asked. “Forgive me for asking, but aren’t you a kindergarten teacher?”

 

“Yes I am, why do you ask?”

 

The CSI couldn’t seem to form the necessary words so Joe stepped in. “You see, Miss Jiwae, it’s not exactly every day that we get called to a scene and find a wrecked sports car belonging to a teacher in the middle of Edge Global’s parking garage.” He raised his eyebrow. “Mind telling us how that came to be?”

 

The demon chuckled. “Oh, you know how it goes,” she smirked, “I try to do something to get a pretty girl to like me and murphy’s law ensues.” Charlie shook her head. “Can I go now, please?”

 

Joe shrugged. “Well, I suppose that’s about it. We’ll get you a ride back to wherever you live,” he then handed her a card, “if you remember anything, let us know.”

 

“Will do,” she said, “always happy to help out the family of my favorite student.”

 

As she walked away, Joe looked back to the smouldering wreckage of the car. He had always relied on the truth when it came to his work, and after that conversation, he knew of two. 

 

The first, was that the damage done to the driver’s side door was not done by the explosion. Perhaps it was Barry’s belief in the impossible rubbing off on him, but he knew in his bones that someone or (more likely in this case) some _ thing _ possessing an ungodly amount of strength had literally ripped the door apart in a desperate attempt to exit the car.

 

The second...was that Charlie Jiwae was in that car when it had exploded.

 

***

_ We should strike back. Make an example of them. _

 

_ No, dumbass. We can’t do that. We promised Zari we wouldn’t kill anyone. _

 

_ I don’t mean to be “that demon” but technically we didn’t. _

 

_ Okay, still. We can’t kill humans. _

 

_ So? We don’t need to kill them. After all, ‘alive’ is a VERY broad category.  _

 

“Are you okay back there?” 

 

Charlie opened her eyes to see the officer looking back at her from his seat. She was sitting cross-legged, the only position she could be in with any form of comfort. “I’m fine.”

 

“Are you sure? It sounded like you were talking to someone.”

 

“Don’t worry, everything is fine. I just need some quiet so I can figure something out.”

 

“Fair enough, guess I’ll leave you to it.”

 

“Thank you.” The demon closed her eyes and returned to the chattering mess that was her mind. Inside of her mental space were dozens of different Charlies, each resembling a form she once used. She wasn’t quite sure exactly when it was that they started to appear, but she had long since accepted them and their right to exist. While certain psychologists would diagnose her with god-knows-how-many conditions because of it, the demon never saw it as an illness. Instead, Charlie imagined that she was an actor (or actress, when the time called for it), and the reflections were echoes of her past roles.  

 

That being said, though, they could be a bit of a handful.

 

_ ‘Maybe we should consider diplomacy.’ _ said one of the voices that was in the form of a politician. 

 

**_‘Nonsense!_ ** ’ said another,  **_‘now is not the time to show weakness! We must strike if we wish to preserve our honor!’_ **

 

‘Ugh,’ Charlie thought to herself, ‘not one of these assholes.’ Certain parts of her still retained her former demonic....inclinations. 

 

_ Negotiation. _

 

**_WAR._ **

 

_ Peace. _

 

**_DEATH._ **

 

_ BEER! _

 

‘ENOUGH!’ the demon thought, banishing the reflections from her mind. Her mental self summoned a thone and sat down in it as she took a few deep breaths. ‘I just need to think for a second.’

 

For a few moments there was silence as the demon contemplated her next decision, then suddenly a voice spoke up, a voice that was distinctly NOT Charlie’s. ‘Well, well, well,’ the voice said with a chuckle, ‘you seem to have yourself in a bit of a clusterfuck, don’t you sister?’

 

The mental Charlie began to smile as she looked up at the figure before her. ‘Well hello M’gann, nice to see you drop by.’ The pair shared a fond chuckle. ‘Suppose I shouldn’t be surprised you’re here, what with being my conscience and all.’

 

‘You suppose correctly, sister.’ she paused to hold her hand out to Charlie. ‘Come, we need to talk.’

 

The demon hesitated before taking the illusion’s hand. Ever since her sister forced the demon to kill her, Charlie would regularly have visits from her dearly-departed victim of sororicide. From what she could piece together, it seemed to be a side-effect of M’gann shoving her memories into the demon’s head. All of those experiences, emotions, and memories combined with every experience charlie had with M’gann to create this: a perfect replica of her sister before she died. At first charlie felt like she was being haunted, but soon enough, she came to accept it as a sort of angel-on-her-shoulder (god that metaphor made her sick). 

 

‘There we go,’ M’gann said, pulling charlie away from her chair. She looked her over. ‘Nice form. It suits you.’

 

‘Suppose it has to,’ Charlie retorted, ‘not like I can change it.’ She looked around at the white space that was her mind. ‘So where do you think we should talk? Because this place is pretty bland.’

 

M’gann snapped her fingers and suddenly the space changed into the Waverider, with herself as the bartender. Charlie noticed that her sister had changed her appearance as well, now looking like charlie now did, if not a little lighter skinned and with less frizzy hair. ‘Better?’

 

‘Last time you took me to Paris. Why the Waverider?’

 

M’gann shrugged as she began to clean glasses that didn’t really exist. ‘You feel comfortable here, I guess? I don’t know. I’m a ghost in your head, not your damn therapist.’ She examined the glass. ‘Besides, it was either this or the bar from  _ Cheers _ .’ 

 

‘Hey, it’s a classic.’

 

‘Now,’ M’gann said, ‘down to business.’

 

‘Right, so I’m going up against Mister Edge because-.’

 

‘Charlie, I know everything you know. There’s no need to explain. Just ask your question.’

 

‘Why am I not surprised?’ the demon sighed. ‘I want to know how I can beat the asshole who wants me dead without killing him and fucking up my deal with Zari?’

 

M’gann smiled. ‘Very good. Now, how do you think you should handle it?’

 

‘Same way I always do, dissolve the company, merge it with the collective funds, assert myself as deja vu.’

 

‘And you think this will work?’

 

‘Why wouldn’t it? He can’t tie me back to this body.’

 

‘Maybe he can’t, but I think we know who can.’ the copy clicked on the tv to show Charlie’s memories of her having sex with…

 

‘Wait, TIM? That’s the same fucking one?’

 

M’gann shrugged. ‘Not surprised you don’t remember, you weren’t exactly focusing on his face now were you?’

 

Charlie shook her head in a rage. ‘GOD FUCKING DAMN IT! THAT LITTLE SHIT IS GOING TO TELL HIS FUCKING BOSS AND BRING THIS ALL BACK TO…’

 

‘Zari,’ the copy answered, ‘now, if I’m a betting girl, I’m going to guess that this schmuck is going to let it slip that you live in an apartment with another woman. Edge is going to think you two are fucking, not that you don’t want to-.’

 

‘Watch it.’

 

‘Truth hurts. Anyway, he’s going to think you two are together, and kidnapp-slash-torture her until you give him what he wants.’

 

‘You really think that?’

 

‘From what we know about him, that seems the most likely outcome.’

 

Charlie tried to calm down. As much as she hated to admit it, she was right. ‘So what do I do?’

 

M’gann smiled as she poured herself a drink. ‘Well, you’re in luck, because I actually have a plan.’

 

This time charlie was genuinely confused. ‘Hold on, since when do YOU have the plan? Normally your schtick is to ‘help me find the answer on my own’ or some bullshit.’

 

‘Do you want my fucking help or not?’

 

Charlie sighed. ‘Fine. Go ahead.’ Suddenly, information began to pass between the two of them. Ideas turned into structure, and soon the plan of action was established. There was just one problem though.

 

‘Not her.’

 

‘Charlie…’

 

‘No way, she’s dealt with enough shit as it is. Besides, we had a deal.’

 

‘My dear sister, we are the two people who know her best in the world. Can you honestly tell me that she won’t agree to this? Especially given the circumstances?’

 

‘Fine,’ the demon relented, ‘just for you. I’ll get in contact.’

 

‘Good,’ the ghost replied, ‘because I think we’re home.’ The demon opened her eyes to watch as the cop car pulled up to the apartment, her mind knowing exactly what to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah, this update has taken little over a month to produce. Sorry about that. The truth is just that life has been insane the past two months. Between starting college, working at my job, and getting my EMT certification, I've barely had any time to actually relax. I do my best to write this story, but if I'm being honest, sometimes hard to find the motivation to do anything. I'd be lying if I said there weren't days where the only thing getting me out of bed in the morning were classes I had to go to (and even then, it can be a serious debate). Because of all this, and at the insistence of friends and family, I'm going to be taking some time to focus on myself. As much as I want to use this time to relax and unwind a little more, it does mean that I will be spending less time writing Rebirth.   
> Now, I know that it sounds like I'm giving a eulogy to this fic, but I want to make it clear that that isn't what this is. I still plan on writing Rebirth and all it's associated stories. I have a fully fleshed out story chart that took me months to make and by god I'm gonna fucking finish it. This is just an announcement that you may not see updates as often as you (or I) want to.   
> I hope you understand.  
> -Shyfan525


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